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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: last · plane · wax · nail · current · wake · bay · season

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. current — of water
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. plane — a tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. current — electric
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. last — to go on
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. current — happening now
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. season — of the year
  18. last — finally
  19. season — in sport
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wax — to grow
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bay — a horse colour

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