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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. chest — of your body
  7. cue — a hint
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. chest — of your body
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fork — in a road
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. chest — a box

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