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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: wax · racket · key · plane · field · mark · hide · stick

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. field — a subject
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. key — in music
  8. wax — to grow
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mark — a trace
  11. field — farmland
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. field — for sport
  16. key — for a lock
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. key — the most important part

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