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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: firm · wax · cue · rash · wave · plane · kid · wound

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rash — hasty
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. firm — a company
  13. rash — a series
  14. cue — a signal
  15. wound — an injury
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. firm — decided
  19. plane — a tool
  20. firm — steady
  21. wound — an injury
  22. cue — for pool
  23. kid — child
  24. plane — an aircraft

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