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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: face · tube · perch · wax · mark · plane · wound · kick

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. wax — to grow
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. kick — in football
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. tube — the underground
  15. face — to confront
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mark — a trace
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. plane — a tool
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. face — part of the head
  23. tube — a container
  24. 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