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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: wax · march · saw · plane · lean · trunk · mug · stock

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. plane — a tool
  3. stock — shares
  4. march — the month
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. march — the month
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wax — to grow
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. march — music
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. mug — a face
  20. stock — goods
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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