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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 · present · bear · bat · lean · wax · plane · season

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lean — thin
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. season — of the year
  13. bear — the animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bear — the animal
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. season — in sport
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. present — there
  22. bat — the animal
  23. lean — to bend
  24. bat — in an idiom

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