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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. track — a song
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wind — moving air
  5. track — a path
  6. lie — to recline
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. tube — the underground
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. track — to keep track
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. tube — a container
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wind — moving air

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