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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rush · bowl · wax · plane · dip · wind · march · press

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wind — moving air
  4. press — a publisher
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. wind — moving air
  10. march — the month
  11. rush — hurry
  12. press — to push
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. press — newspapers
  20. dip — to sink
  21. march — music
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. march — the month

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