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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. club — a group
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. prune — to trim
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. club — for golf
  13. prune — to trim
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wake — a trail
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. wax — to grow
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lean — to bend
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. toast — bread
  24. prune — the fruit

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