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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — music
  3. bore — to tire
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. degree — from a university
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. degree — an amount
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. degree — temperature

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