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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: content · face · mouse · plane · nail · stock · stem · wax

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. content — happy
  4. face — part of the head
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stock — shares
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. stock — goods
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. face — to confront
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. stem — to come from
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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