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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: stick · wax · press · file · bulb · saw · coach · plane

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. plane — a tool
  5. file — a tool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. file — a line of people
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bulb — for light
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. press — a publisher
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. press — to push
  15. bulb — for light
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. file — a document
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. saw — the tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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