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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: cabinet · stick · bank · wax · patient · plane · face · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. date — the fruit
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wax — to grow
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. face — to confront
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bank — for money
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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