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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. can — a tin
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — a country
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mate — a partner
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. can — to be able to
  12. game — a match
  13. land — to come down
  14. can — a tin
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mate — to breed
  21. land — ground
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bound — certain
  24. cabinet — ministers

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