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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.

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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: wax · pass · plane · rush · pitcher · mine · wind · present

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. present — the time now
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mine — for digging
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wind — moving air
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rush — hurry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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