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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. plane — a tool
  3. land — a country
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lie — to recline
  7. land — ground
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. land — to come down
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. date — the fruit
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. season — in sport
  23. wax — to grow
  24. lie — an untruth

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