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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: plane · last · band · wave · scale · firm · wax · chair

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. scale — size or range
  4. last — final
  5. band — a music group
  6. plane — a tool
  7. last — finally
  8. firm — a company
  9. wax — to grow
  10. chair — a leader
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. last — to go on
  13. firm — steady
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. firm — decided
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. scale — in music
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. band — a ring
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chair — a professorship

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