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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 120 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: court · nail · wax · band · craft · plane · fall · mate

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mate — a friend
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. court — of law
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. craft — a skill
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mate — to breed
  14. band — a music group
  15. plane — a tool
  16. mate — a partner
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. wax — to grow
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. court — for sport
  22. band — a ring
  23. craft — boats
  24. fall — the season

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