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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: tube · wax · plane · spell · current · date · ball · rush

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. current — of water
  4. tube — a container
  5. current — happening now
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rush — hurry
  9. date — the fruit
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. ball — a great time
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wax — to grow
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — letters
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. current — electric
  23. tube — the underground
  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