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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.

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: wax · plane · lash · fan · mine · object · branch · bear

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  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. fan — to cool the air
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. mine — for digging
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wax — to grow
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. branch — a division
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bear — the animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bear — the animal
  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