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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — hurry
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. capital — money
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. capital — a city
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wax — for sculpting
  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