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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: calf · wax · plane · wave · current · fork · tear · game

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tear — to rip
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. game — wild animals
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. current — of water
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. wax — to grow
  19. game — a match
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. current — electric
  24. fork — a garden 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