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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wax — to grow
  3. plane — a tool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. present — there
  7. dip — to sink
  8. capital — a city
  9. present — a gift
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mug — to rob
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. mug — a face
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. cell — a phone
  19. mug — a cup
  20. present — the time now
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. dip — a sauce

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