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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · bass · charge · spell · pitcher · bark · wave · plane

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. charge — a price
  9. spell — letters
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wax — to grow
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bass — low music
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. charge — in control
  22. bass — the fish
  23. charge — electricity
  24. spell — magic

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