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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mark — a grade
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. roll — a list
  14. branch — a division
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cell — a phone
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cell — in biology

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