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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. face — to point toward
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. net — in sport
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. season — of the year
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. net — for catching
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wax — to grow
  20. kid — to tease
  21. net — after costs
  22. kid — child
  23. face — to confront
  24. season — in sport

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