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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wax — to grow
  5. deal — to handle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. shower — rain
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. craft — a skill
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. shower — to wash
  19. craft — boats
  20. ground — crushed
  21. row — a line
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. ground — a position

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