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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. chest — a box
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. chest — of your body
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. sharp — clever
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. toast — bread
  22. chest — of your body
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wax — in the ear

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