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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: hide · stem · wax · deal · fan · track · plane · bat

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bat — the animal
  12. track — to keep track
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — a tool
  20. track — a path
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. track — a song
  23. deal — to handle
  24. stem — to come from

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