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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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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: craft · wax · file · pound · bass · wake · plane · pop

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. plane — a tool
  7. pop — soda
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bass — low music
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. craft — boats
  15. pop — music
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bass — the fish
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pound — a weight
  24. plane — in geometry

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