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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. spell — letters
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wax — to grow
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. spell — a short time
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. spell — magic
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stock — shares
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. stock — goods

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