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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: stem · racket · staff · plane · face · rock · lean · wave

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. face — part of the head
  3. staff — a stick
  4. face — to point toward
  5. lean — thin
  6. staff — employees
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lean — to bend
  10. face — to confront
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — music
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rock — a stone

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