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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. spring — the season
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — a stone
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wax — to grow
  7. can — a tin
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wind — moving air
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. spring — of water

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