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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wake — a trail
  7. land — ground
  8. current — of water
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. land — to come down
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mug — to rob
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mug — a face
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. land — a country
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. ruler — for measuring

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