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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: fork · foot · bay · plane · row · chair · mark · wax

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. chair — a leader
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. fork — in a road
  19. row — a line
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. row — to paddle
  24. mark — a trace

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