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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: spring · wax · calf · charge · firm · stock · tube · plane

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — a tool
  4. firm — decided
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stock — goods
  8. wax — to grow
  9. charge — a price
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. tube — a container
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. spring — a coil
  14. stock — shares
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. tube — the underground
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spring — the season
  21. firm — a company
  22. charge — in control
  23. firm — steady
  24. spring — of water

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