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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 · pound · date · pop · cabinet · mouse · fall · wax

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. fall — the season
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pop — music
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. fall — to drop
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — soda
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pound — a weight
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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