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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. suit — to fit
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wax — to grow
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. suit — in cards
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. tube — a container
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. plane — a tool
  24. ball — a dance

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