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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.

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: press · suit · spell · hide · row · plane · last · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spell — magic
  5. suit — to fit
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. row — a line
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. suit — in cards
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. row — to paddle
  13. last — finally
  14. press — to push
  15. plane — a tool
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. spell — a short time
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. spell — letters
  21. last — final
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. last — to go on

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