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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: rash · cue · land · bowl · wax · plane · suit · degree

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cue — a hint
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rash — a series
  10. suit — clothes
  11. land — to come down
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. degree — from a university
  15. rash — hasty
  16. plane — a tool
  17. land — ground
  18. cue — for pool
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cue — a signal
  21. degree — an amount
  22. wax — to grow
  23. land — a country
  24. suit — to fit

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