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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: bank · face · object · capital · plane · stand · foot · wax

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — a thing
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bank — of a river
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stand — to bear
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. object — to protest
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. capital — a city
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. object — an aim
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. face — part of the head
  22. foot — a measure
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. plane — an aircraft

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