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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · hide · bat · tube · plane · sharp · wax · board

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. plane — a tool
  3. board — to get on
  4. tube — a container
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. tube — the underground
  8. sharp — clever
  9. board — a committee
  10. bat — the animal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fork — in a road
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. hide — animal skin

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