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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: deal · plane · wax · mouse · band · spell · rash · rush

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. spell — a short time
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rash — a series
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. spell — letters
  14. band — a music group
  15. wax — to grow
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. band — a ring
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rash — hasty
  24. plane — a tool

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