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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · kid · chest · ruler · bass · wax · fan · plane

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wax — to grow
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. kid — to tease
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bass — low music
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — magic
  22. chest — of your body
  23. kid — child
  24. wax — in the ear

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