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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 124 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. sharp — clever
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. squash — to crush
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. wax — to grow
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. spell — magic
  11. bore — to drill
  12. squash — the sport
  13. plane — a tool
  14. suit — clothes
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. suit — in cards
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. spell — letters

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