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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 120 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: drill · stem · clip · press · plane · cue · wax · wake

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. clip — to cut
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cue — for pool
  15. stem — to come from
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. drill — army training
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cue — a hint
  22. clip — a video
  23. wake — a trail
  24. drill — a practice

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