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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: ball · fall · wax · nail · bear · plane · file · foot

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. bear — the animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. foot — a measure
  9. ball — a dance
  10. file — a line of people
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. file — a tool
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. ball — a great time
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. file — a document
  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