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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.

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: staff · march · plane · mouse · ground · rash · fan · wax

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. march — the month
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ground — a position
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — a series
  14. wax — to grow
  15. staff — employees
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. march — the month
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. march — music
  22. staff — employees
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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