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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fine — all right
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wax — to grow
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fine — high quality
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. court — of law
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. court — for sport
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. plane — a tool

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