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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. court — of law
  3. charge — electricity
  4. key — in music
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. degree — from a university
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — a price
  10. court — of a king
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. key — for a lock
  13. court — for sport
  14. cell — a phone
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. degree — temperature
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. degree — an amount
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wax — to grow

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