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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rock — music
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fork — in a road
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. shower — rain
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. shower — to wash
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — there
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. present — a gift

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