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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — thin
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wax — to grow
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ground — a position
  24. dip — to dunk

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