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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: bulb · mate · plane · wax · dip · wound · squash · rush

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bulb — for light
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mate — a partner
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. wound — an injury
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — to breed
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. plane — a tool
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mate — a friend
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wax — to grow
  24. dip — to sink

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