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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 · degree · track · scale · craft · wax · fall · temple

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. degree — from a university
  6. craft — boats
  7. track — a path
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. track — to keep track
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fall — to drop
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. craft — a skill
  18. track — a song
  19. degree — an amount
  20. degree — temperature
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fall — the season
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fall — to drop

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