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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · face · wax · perch · chair · tear · kick · plane

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. tear — to rip
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. plane — a tool
  7. chair — a leader
  8. spell — magic
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. face — to point toward
  14. face — part of the head
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wax — to grow
  18. face — to confront
  19. perch — the fish
  20. tear — from crying
  21. kick — in football
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. spell — letters

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