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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.

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: mate · mouse · wax · racket · bark · face · ruler · plane

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. face — to confront
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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