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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. fall — to drop
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rule — government
  9. suit — in cards
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. pop — music
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fall — the season
  16. wax — to grow
  17. scale — size or range
  18. rule — a law
  19. suit — to fit
  20. fall — to drop
  21. scale — in music
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. date — the fruit
  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