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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bass — low music
  6. court — of law
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. court — of a king
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lean — thin
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. court — for sport
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mine — for digging

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