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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. fall — the season
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. spring — the season
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rock — a stone
  9. spring — of water
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. prune — to trim
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rock — music
  19. pitch — completely
  20. wax — to grow
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wax — in the ear
  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