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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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. plane — a tool
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pop — soda
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. hand — help
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. deal — to handle
  10. shower — rain
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. hand — in cards
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pass — a permit

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