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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.

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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: arm · foot · deal · bowl · wax · bat · craft · plane

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. craft — boats
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. plane — a tool
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. foot — a measure
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. arm — part of the body

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