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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. march — the month
  4. bear — the animal
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chest — a box
  11. march — the month
  12. chest — of your body
  13. dip — to sink
  14. capital — a city
  15. plane — a tool
  16. capital — money
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. march — music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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