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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: spell · last · wax · plane · arm · mark · mug · leaves

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mug — a face
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. last — final
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. last — to go on
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spell — a short time
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. spell — letters
  21. last — finally
  22. mug — a cup
  23. spell — magic
  24. plane — a tool

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