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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 · object · plane · row · ball · mug · date

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. object — a thing
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. row — a line
  5. object — an aim
  6. mug — a face
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ball — a great time
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wax — to grow
  18. row — to paddle
  19. ball — a dance
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mug — to rob
  22. object — to protest
  23. date — the fruit
  24. plane — a tool

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