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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bark — to shout
  6. spring — the season
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. spring — of water
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fine — high quality
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. fine — all right
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. spring — a coil
  22. wax — to grow
  23. kid — child
  24. fine — a penalty

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