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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: bass · plane · wave · ball · staff · content · arm · wax

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wax — to grow
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. plane — a tool
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bass — low music
  15. ball — a great time
  16. content — the amount
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bass — the fish
  21. content — happy
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. staff — a stick

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