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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stand — to bear
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. capital — money
  9. face — to confront
  10. face — part of the head
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. club — for golf
  13. capital — a city
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. club — a group
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. face — to point toward
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — to sink

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