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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: cabinet · bear · present · file · wax · pitch · field · plane

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. plane — a tool
  3. present — the time now
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. field — for sport
  9. file — a line of people
  10. present — a gift
  11. pitch — completely
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. field — farmland
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. field — a subject

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