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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. can — to be able to
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. plane — a tool
  8. fall — the season
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. capital — a city
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. capital — money
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. can — a tin
  18. fine — high quality
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fall — to drop
  21. can — a tin
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fine — all right
  24. mouse — the animal

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