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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 120 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wax — to grow
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. tube — a container
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — goods
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. stock — shares
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — in a road
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rush — hurry
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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