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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: bowl · wax · mate · cabinet · plane · chest · drill · roll

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mate — a friend
  4. drill — army training
  5. roll — a list
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. drill — a practice
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chest — of your body
  11. drill — the tool
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. chest — of your body
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. chest — a box

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