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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. vault — a safe
  6. band — a ring
  7. plane — a tool
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. degree — an amount
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. face — to point toward
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. face — to confront
  19. degree — from a university
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. band — a music group

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