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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: stand · wax · stick · toast · plane · hide · bark · file

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. toast — bread
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stand — to bear
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. file — a tool
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. plane — a tool

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