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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
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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 · wax · plane · stock · chip · bound · arm

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. face — to point toward
  3. chip — to eat
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. bound — certain
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. content — the amount
  11. face — to confront
  12. chip — for betting
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wax — to grow
  15. content — happy
  16. stock — shares
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bound — obliged
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stock — goods

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