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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 116 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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. staff — employees
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. file — a line of people
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. staff — employees
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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