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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · file · wax · perch · face · rock · plane · land

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. wax — to grow
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rock — music
  6. land — to come down
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. plane — a tool
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. perch — the fish
  14. land — a country
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. land — ground
  21. file — a document
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rock — a stone

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