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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 120 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.

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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: chest · rest · mug · land · bore · spell · wax · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. land — a country
  3. chest — of your body
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wax — to grow
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rest — what's left
  10. spell — magic
  11. chest — of your body
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bore — to tire
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bore — to drill
  16. land — ground
  17. spell — letters
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chest — a box
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. land — to come down
  24. mug — a face

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