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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: plane · ruler · cap · tube · wax · wake · rock · wound

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. tube — a container
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cap — of ice
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. rock — a stone
  10. tube — the underground
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. wax — to grow
  13. plane — a tool
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wound — an injury
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. rock — music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. cap — a hat
  22. cap — a lid
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wax — for sculpting

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