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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 120 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. row — to paddle
  3. drill — army training
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wax — to grow
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — ground
  8. drill — the tool
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. pop — music
  18. row — a line
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. plane — a tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. land — a country

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