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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. rest — a break
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. degree — an amount
  6. plane — a tool
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wake — a trail
  10. saw — the tool
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. toast — bread
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stand — to bear
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rest — what's left

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