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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.

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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: plane · wax · race · calf · face · trunk · can · field

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. plane — in geometry
  2. wax — to grow
  3. race — a contest
  4. plane — a tool
  5. can — a tin
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. can — a tin
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. field — a subject
  11. race — humankind
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. field — for sport
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. face — part of the head
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. can — to be able to
  19. face — to point toward
  20. race — the arms race
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. field — farmland
  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