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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.

Make a worksheet

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: plane · mine · bear · arm · wax · temple · hide · pound

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wax — to grow
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. temple — a place of worship

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