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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. wax — to grow
  6. row — to paddle
  7. shower — to wash
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. shower — rain
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pass — a permit
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. plane — a tool
  16. row — a line
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. root — the cause
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. snap — to click
  24. root — of a word

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