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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. spell — a short time
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pound — a weight
  6. kick — in football
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. shower — rain
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. firm — decided
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. spell — letters
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. firm — a company
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pit — in a race
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. shower — to wash
  23. firm — steady
  24. spell — magic

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