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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: arm · plane · cue · root · wax · face · wake · spring

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wax — to grow
  3. spring — the season
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cue — for pool
  6. plane — a tool
  7. face — to point toward
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. face — to confront
  15. spring — of water
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wake — a trail
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. root — the cause
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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