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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: lie · stem · wake · wax · chair · hand · chip · face

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. hand — in cards
  3. chip — for betting
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. face — part of the head
  6. lie — to recline
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a leader
  9. wake — a trail
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. hand — help
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. face — to confront
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. wax — to grow

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