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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: present · wax · club · lean · plane · tube · season · mate

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. plane — an aircraft
  2. tube — a container
  3. season — in sport
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. tube — the underground
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mate — to breed
  13. lean — to bend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lean — thin
  19. present — the time now
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. club — for golf
  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