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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: lean · wax · plane · pass · rush · clip · deal · net

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. wax — to grow
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. plane — a tool
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pass — a permit
  9. lean — thin
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lean — to bend
  13. net — in sport
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. clip — a video
  18. net — after costs
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. net — for catching
  21. rush — hurry
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. rush — to hurry

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