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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · cold · hide · rock · toast · plane · lean · wax

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. roll — a list
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cold — not warm
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. rock — a stone
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cold — an illness
  17. lean — thin
  18. wax — to grow
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rock — music
  24. roll — a cake

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