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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: plane · wound · wax · calf · bank · spell · tube · board

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. board — to get on
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spell — magic
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bank — of a river
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wax — to grow
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tube — a container
  12. bank — for money
  13. spell — a short time
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. board — a committee
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bank — for money
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wax — in the ear

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