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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 · stand · face · tear · stick · march · rock · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rock — a stone
  6. tear — from crying
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. tear — to rip
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. face — to confront
  13. rock — music
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stand — to bear
  16. march — the month
  17. plane — a tool
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wax — to grow
  20. march — music
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. march — the month
  23. stand — for spectators
  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