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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.

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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: stand · straw · plane · bay · wound · face

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stand — to bear
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. wound — an injury

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