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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rest — a break
  5. mug — a face
  6. plane — a tool
  7. degree — from a university
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. degree — an amount
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. degree — temperature
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cap — a hat
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mug — to rob
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rest — what's left
  21. staff — employees
  22. cap — a lid
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. wax — for sculpting

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