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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bass — the fish
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. craft — a skill
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. row — a line
  19. rock — music
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bass — low music
  23. bulb — for light
  24. craft — boats

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