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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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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: plane · cabinet · bank · cue · wax · race · firm · tear

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. tear — to rip
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. tear — from crying
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. cue — a signal
  11. bank — of a river
  12. cue — a hint
  13. firm — a company
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wax — to grow
  17. tear — from crying
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. firm — decided
  20. race — a contest
  21. bank — for money
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bank — for money
  24. firm — steady

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