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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: ball · arm · wax · branch · craft · cue · foot · plane

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. ball — a great time
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cue — for pool
  11. foot — a measure
  12. branch — a division
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. cue — a signal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cue — a hint
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ball — a dance
  24. craft — boats

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