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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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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. plane — a tool
  3. band — a ring
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. root — of a word
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wax — to grow
  11. stand — to bear
  12. chip — to eat
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chip — for betting
  17. band — a music group
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. stand — on your feet

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