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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.

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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: mark · wake · bank · chair · wax · plane · lean · saw

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mark — a trace
  3. lean — thin
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wake — a trail
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bank — for money
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chair — a leader
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bank — for money

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