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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: mug · kid · chip · wax · stem · lean · face · track

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mug — a face
  5. chip — for betting
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. face — to confront
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. kid — to tease
  18. track — a path
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. kid — child
  24. lean — to rest against

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