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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: tube · drill · face · plane · wax · lash · pit · race

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. drill — army training
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. face — to confront
  6. pit — in a race
  7. plane — a tool
  8. race — humankind
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. drill — a practice
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wax — to grow
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. tube — a container
  19. face — part of the head
  20. tube — the underground
  21. face — to point toward
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. race — a contest
  24. race — the arms race

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