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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. wax — to grow
  3. season — in sport
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. face — to confront
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. face — part of the head
  9. object — an aim
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. kick — in football
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. season — of the year
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. object — a thing
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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