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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: wax · plane · stem · bulb · rush · clip · hand · temple

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. plane — a tool
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. hand — help
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — for paper
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. clip — a video
  23. bulb — for light
  24. temple — a place of worship

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