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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: stock · swing · plane · fork · wax · leaves · bound · tube

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. swing — in golf
  7. stock — shares
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. tube — the underground
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stock — goods
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bound — obliged
  18. tube — a container
  19. swing — music
  20. fork — in a road
  21. swing — to play on
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wax — to grow
  24. plane — an aircraft

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