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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: stock · can · bore · track · face · lean · plane · last

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. face — to confront
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. lean — thin
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. last — to go on
  7. stock — goods
  8. track — a path
  9. can — a tin
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bore — to drill
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. track — to keep track
  15. can — a tin
  16. last — finally
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lean — to bend
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — shares
  21. track — a song
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bore — to tire
  24. last — final

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