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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 116 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: wax · mark · chip · hide · face · lean · plane · rest

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. face — part of the head
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lean — thin
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. lean — to bend
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. rest — a break
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chip — for betting
  24. face — to confront

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