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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
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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: squash · plane · bay · wax · straw · tube · object · wave

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. object — to protest
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. squash — the sport
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. squash — to crush
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. object — a thing
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. object — an aim

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