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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. land — a country
  3. file — a tool
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. plane — a tool
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cue — a hint
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. file — a document
  21. wax — to grow
  22. file — a line of people
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. plane — an aircraft

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