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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. capital — money
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fork — in a road
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. season — in sport
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pop — soda
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. season — of the year
  13. bank — for money
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bank — for money
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. pop — music
  24. bank — of a river

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