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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. file — a document
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. face — part of the head
  13. pop — to visit
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. file — a tool
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. file — a line of people
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wax — to grow
  22. face — to point toward
  23. plane — a tool
  24. face — to confront

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