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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. spell — letters
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lean — thin
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. key — for a lock
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. key — the most important part
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. plane — a tool
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. key — in music
  22. spell — magic
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. racket — a loud noise

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