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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 120 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: wax · season · lie · row · plane · chest · fork · mug

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. season — in sport
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. row — a line
  9. chest — a box
  10. fork — in a road
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. season — of the year
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. plane — a tool
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mug — to rob
  24. season — to add flavour

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