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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 120 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: plane · spring · lie · wax · stem · mark · wave · hand

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. stem — to come from
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. spring — the season
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spring — of water
  15. lie — to recline
  16. spring — a coil
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. hand — help
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. hand — in cards
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wax — in the ear

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