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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.

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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: rock · lean · bay · kid · plane · scale · face · wake

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. rock — music
  5. kid — to tease
  6. rock — a stone
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. scale — size or range
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. plane — a tool
  19. scale — in music
  20. kid — child
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. lean — thin
  23. wake — a trail
  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