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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
468
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: ball · bank · plane · bear · cold · wax · cue · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cue — a signal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ball — a great time
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bank — of a river
  10. cue — for pool
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bank — for money
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bear — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bank — for money

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