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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
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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: wax · season · safe · coach · rush · wind · plane · stem

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rush — hurry
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — to grow
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. season — of the year
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. season — in sport

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