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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wax — to grow
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. lean — thin
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. suit — to fit
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chair — a leader
  13. spring — the season
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. spring — of water
  20. bear — the animal
  21. suit — clothes
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lean — to bend

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