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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. branch — a division
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wax — to grow
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. clip — to cut
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. clip — a video
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. clip — for paper

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