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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 116 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wax — to grow
  3. face — to point toward
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pop — soda
  9. bat — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bound — tied together
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pop — music
  16. bound — certain
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. face — to confront
  21. bound — obliged
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. face — part of the head

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