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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: game · lie · wax · staff · chair · fall · plane · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fall — to drop
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. staff — employees
  7. chair — a leader
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fall — to drop
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fall — the season
  12. game — a match
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. lie — to recline
  17. staff — employees
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. staff — a stick
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. wax — to grow
  22. game — wild animals
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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