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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. saw — the tool
  4. staff — employees
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. scale — size or range
  12. roll — a list
  13. saw — the tool
  14. scale — in music
  15. mate — a friend
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — a tool
  19. roll — a cake
  20. staff — employees
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mate — a partner
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pass — a permit

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