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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: plane · fan · fine · squash · straw · wax · key · roll

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. squash — to crush
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wax — to grow
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. squash — the sport
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. key — for a lock
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. roll — a list
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. key — the most important part
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. key — in music
  24. roll — a cake

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