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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. hand — in cards
  5. wax — to grow
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. club — a group
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. squash — to crush
  11. plane — a tool
  12. march — the month
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. club — for golf
  15. bore — to drill
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stem — to come from
  18. club — for dancing
  19. march — music
  20. hand — help
  21. march — the month
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

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