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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.

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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: tube · cue · plane · march · stem · wax · object · bear

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. 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. tube — the underground
  2. cue — a hint
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stem — to come from
  5. tube — a container
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. object — an aim
  8. march — music
  9. object — to protest
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cue — a signal
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. cue — for pool
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. object — a thing
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. 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