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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. wax — to grow
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. track — a path
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rest — a break
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. spring — of water
  13. band — a ring
  14. rest — what's left
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. spring — a coil
  17. track — a song
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. spring — the season
  22. track — to keep track
  23. band — a music group
  24. band — a rubber band

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