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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: board · face · plane · wax · patient · nail

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. board — a committee
  6. plane — a tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. face — to point toward
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. board — to get on
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. face — part of the head
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wax — to grow
  18. face — to confront

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