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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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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 · toast · deal · mine · last · fork · wax · bay

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. last — final
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. toast — bread
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. last — to go on
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. deal — to handle
  15. last — finally
  16. plane — a tool
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. plane — an aircraft

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