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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: rule · wax · plane · pop · staff · fall · bass · wave

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bass — low music
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fall — the season
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pop — soda
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pop — music
  14. rule — government
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rule — a law
  17. staff — employees
  18. bass — the fish
  19. plane — a tool
  20. staff — a stick
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. staff — employees
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pop — to visit

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