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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.

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 · tube · last · rock · wax · perch · patient · lie

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. last — final
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. last — finally
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. last — to go on
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lie — to recline
  18. plane — a tool
  19. rock — a stone
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wax — to grow
  22. perch — the fish
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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