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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: bulb · wax · hand · race · pitch · staff · cell · plane

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. staff — employees
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. race — the arms race
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. plane — a tool
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bulb — for light
  9. race — humankind
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cell — in biology
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bulb — for light
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. race — a contest
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. staff — employees
  24. plane — in geometry

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