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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: cell · plane · firm · wax · stand · lean · track · foot

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. firm — a company
  5. track — to keep track
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. firm — decided
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. firm — steady
  14. stand — to bear
  15. track — a path
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. plane — a tool
  20. cell — in biology
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wax — to grow
  23. track — a song
  24. wax — for sculpting

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