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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: cabinet · bay · land · plane · fall · roll · last · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. land — to come down
  3. last — to go on
  4. fall — the season
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. roll — a list
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wax — to grow
  9. last — finally
  10. fall — to drop
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. land — ground
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. last — final
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. land — a country

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