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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. face — to confront
  16. branch — a division
  17. plane — a tool
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bulb — for light
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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