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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wax — to grow
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. squash — to crush
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. squash — the sport
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wake — a trail
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com