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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 116 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
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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 · last · saw · fan · lash · ball · track · wax

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. track — to keep track
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wax — to grow
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. last — final
  12. track — a path
  13. last — to go on
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. track — a song
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. ball — a great time
  22. plane — a tool
  23. last — finally
  24. saw — the 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