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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · swing · stand · key · root · plane · mine · can

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. swing — in golf
  9. plane — a tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. root — of a word
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. can — to be able to
  16. root — the cause
  17. swing — music
  18. key — for a lock
  19. can — a tin
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. stand — to bear
  23. key — in music
  24. stand — for spectators

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