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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: wax · temple · spring · plane · stem · ruler · wake · bass

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bass — low music
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bass — the fish
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. stem — to come from
  14. plane — a tool
  15. spring — of water
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. spring — the season
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stem — of a plant

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