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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
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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: cell · stock · drill · wax · mate · craft · plane · game

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. mate — a friend
  3. stock — goods
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. mate — to breed
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. drill — army training
  10. stock — shares
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wax — to grow
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. game — a match
  16. plane — a tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. craft — boats
  22. mate — a partner
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. craft — a skill

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