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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 120 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
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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: rock · fall · mark · stand · pop · plane · wax · deal

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. mark — a trace
  4. pop — to visit
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fall — the season
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rock — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. pop — music
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. plane — a tool
  22. deal — to handle
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. wax — in the ear

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