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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 120 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: bear · ball · wax · dip · capital · hide · plane · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bear — the animal
  3. dip — to sink
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ball — a dance
  10. capital — money
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. plane — a tool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chest — of your body
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. chest — of your body
  18. ball — a great time
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bear — the animal
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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