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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 120 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: fine · pitcher · rule · cap · plane · row · wax · wake

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rule — government
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rule — a law
  8. fine — all right
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. row — a line
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wake — a trail
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cap — a hat

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