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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.

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: arm · ruler · land · plane · wax · pitch · drill · net

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. land — a country
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — after costs
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. land — ground
  11. pitch — completely
  12. drill — army training
  13. wax — to grow
  14. drill — the tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. drill — a practice
  18. net — for catching
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. plane — a tool
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. land — to come down
  23. net — in sport
  24. arm — a part of something

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