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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 116 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: firm · tube · race · mate · wax · fan · wake · plane

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. race — a contest
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. firm — steady
  5. plane — a tool
  6. race — the arms race
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. firm — decided
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mate — a friend
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. mate — to breed
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. firm — a company
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — to grow
  23. tube — a container
  24. race — humankind

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