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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. ground — a position
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. race — a contest
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. file — a document
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. file — a tool
  20. race — humankind
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bore — to tire

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