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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: stand · wax · stem · present · toast · wound · face · lie

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. stand — to bear
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. face — to point toward
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. wound — an injury
  18. face — part of the head
  19. present — a gift
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. face — to confront
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. toast — bread

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