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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 120 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: rash · wax · prune · wake · bass · key · hide · plane

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bass — the fish
  3. key — in music
  4. key — the most important part
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. key — for a lock
  13. rash — hasty
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bass — low music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rash — a series
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wax — for sculpting

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