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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: saw · plane · ball · content · charge · wax · can · race

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. saw — the tool
  3. race — a contest
  4. content — happy
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ball — a dance
  7. can — a tin
  8. content — the amount
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. can — to be able to
  11. charge — a price
  12. wax — to grow
  13. plane — a tool
  14. charge — in control
  15. ball — a great time
  16. saw — the tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — the arms race
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. charge — electricity
  24. can — a tin

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