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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: wound · coach · temple · wax · bank · march · cue · plane

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. march — the month
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. march — the month
  10. bank — for money
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. march — music
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. cue — for pool
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wax — to grow

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