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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. plane — a tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. prune — to trim
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — a safe
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. saw — the tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. prune — to trim

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