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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. court — for sport
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. date — the fruit
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. court — of a king
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. tube — a container
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. court — of law
  24. wax — to grow

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