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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: bay · content · land · row · wax · ruler · plane · foot

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. row — a line
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. row — to paddle
  8. foot — a measure
  9. land — a country
  10. content — happy
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. land — to come down
  19. content — the amount
  20. land — ground
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. plane — a tool

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