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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.

Make a worksheet

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
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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: plane · stick · row · ground · bear · wax

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ground — a position
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bear — the animal
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bear — the animal
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. ground — the earth
  14. row — a line
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wax — for sculpting

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