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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: bay · degree · cue · lie · swing · root · wax · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cue — a hint
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. degree — from a university
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cue — a signal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. swing — music
  18. root — of a word
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. root — the cause
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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