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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 · bat · game · track · staff · pop · plane · rush

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. pop — music
  5. pop — to visit
  6. track — a path
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. game — a match
  11. staff — a stick
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. track — to keep track
  14. staff — employees
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. game — wild animals
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. staff — employees
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. plane — a tool
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. track — a song
  23. pop — soda
  24. rush — hurry

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