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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: plane · field · wax · cell · rock · arm · fall · bore

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. cell — in biology
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bore — to tire
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fall — the season
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wax — to grow
  12. plane — a tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rock — a stone
  15. cell — a phone
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. rock — music
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. field — for sport
  21. bore — to drill
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rock — to move gently

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