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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: deal · drill · mark · present · spring · plane · wax · bank

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. drill — army training
  3. mark — a trace
  4. spring — the season
  5. present — the time now
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bank — for money
  8. spring — of water
  9. spring — a coil
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. present — there
  14. mark — a grade
  15. bank — for money
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wax — to grow
  20. drill — the tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. present — a gift

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