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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: coach · kid · game · current · bulb · wax · plane · rash

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. current — happening now
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. current — electric
  6. game — wild animals
  7. kid — to tease
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wax — to grow
  15. kid — child
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. current — of water
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. rash — a series
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. game — a match

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