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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 120 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. ground — the earth
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bark — to shout
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. rest — what's left
  19. ground — crushed
  20. perch — the fish
  21. plane — a tool
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. ground — a position

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