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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — ground
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. prune — to trim
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. plane — a tool
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. prune — to trim
  23. land — to come down
  24. wax — to grow

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