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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 116 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
468
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: wax · ball · season · fan · bark · pop · plane · bank

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. pop — music
  6. ball — a dance
  7. season — of the year
  8. plane — a tool
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bank — of a river
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bank — for money
  13. bark — to shout
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. season — in sport
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bank — for money
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. pop — soda
  24. bark — of a tree

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