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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stock — shares
  9. stock — goods
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wound — an injury
  24. plane — in geometry

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