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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 116 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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fork — in a road
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bass — the fish
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tube — a container
  24. plane — in geometry

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