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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stock — shares
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wax — to grow
  10. clip — a video
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. stock — goods
  17. plane — a tool
  18. clip — for paper
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wave — with your hand

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