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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: current · wind · mark · plane · net · pop · toast · wax

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pop — music
  3. toast — bread
  4. net — for catching
  5. mark — a trace
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. net — after costs
  10. current — happening now
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. net — in sport
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. wax — to grow
  18. current — electric
  19. current — of water
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. plane — a tool
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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