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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. can — a tin
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fork — in a road
  10. plane — a tool
  11. prune — to trim
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. can — a tin
  18. root — the cause
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. wax — to grow
  21. root — of a plant
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. root — of a word
  24. plane — in geometry

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