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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stem — to come from
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wax — to grow
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. object — an aim
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — lets stay

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