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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
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 · season · bulb · face · vault · tube · plane · kid

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. face — to confront
  3. kid — child
  4. tube — a container
  5. season — of the year
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bulb — for light
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. face — part of the head
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. kid — to tease
  18. face — to point toward
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bulb — for light
  21. tube — the underground
  22. wax — to grow
  23. season — in sport
  24. plane — in geometry

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