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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: wax · land · racket · dip · saw · mark · toast · current

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. toast — bread
  3. current — electric
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. current — happening now
  7. mark — a trace
  8. land — a country
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. land — to come down
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wax — to grow
  14. dip — to sink
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. current — of water
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. land — ground
  21. saw — the tool
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. saw — the 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