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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: charge · wave · plane · net · wax · track · bulb · cell

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. net — in sport
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. track — to keep track
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. track — a path
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cell — a phone
  16. net — for catching
  17. charge — in control
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. net — after costs
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. track — a song
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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