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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: plane · wax · spell · tear · bark · wave · craft · tube

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. tear — from crying
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. spell — magic
  8. tube — a container
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. spell — a short time
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bark — to shout
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. craft — boats
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. tube — the underground
  21. spell — letters
  22. plane — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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