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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 116 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: row · bank · pop · lie · plane · bear · wax · object

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pop — music
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bank — for money
  8. bear — the animal
  9. row — a line
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pop — soda
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — an aim
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lie — to recline
  18. plane — a tool
  19. bank — of a river
  20. object — a thing
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — to paddle
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. object — to protest

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