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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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. rash — a series
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wax — to grow
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bass — the fish
  14. fall — the season
  15. capital — money
  16. bass — low music
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. capital — a city
  20. rest — a break
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fall — to drop

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