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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. hand — help
  6. can — to be able to
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pop — soda
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. can — a tin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. wind — moving air
  24. plane — a tool

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