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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wax — to grow
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. field — a subject
  6. key — in music
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. field — farmland
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. field — for sport
  12. kick — in football
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fine — all right
  17. game — a match
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fine — high quality
  24. kick — with a leg

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