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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: wax · cell · plane · saw · current · hide · mark · toast

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. current — electric
  4. current — of water
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. current — happening now
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cell — a phone
  11. toast — bread
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. mark — a grade
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. plane — a tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cell — in biology
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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