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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. field — farmland
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. field — for sport
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. plane — a tool
  11. field — a subject
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wax — to grow
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. key — in music
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. key — for a lock
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. plane — an aircraft

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