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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. foot — a measure
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rest — a break
  12. snap — to click
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bass — low music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bass — the fish
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rest — what's left
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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