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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.

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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: pitcher · plane · face · clip · key · wax · rock · game

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wax — to grow
  6. clip — for paper
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. plane — a tool
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. clip — a video
  12. face — to confront
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. rock — a stone
  15. key — in music
  16. game — a match
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rock — music
  22. face — to point toward
  23. clip — to cut
  24. face — part of the head

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