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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. pit — in a race
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. lean — thin
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pit — a hole
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lean — to bend
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — child
  20. ball — a great time
  21. stem — to come from
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a dance

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