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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: toast · last · wax · cabinet · root · roll · ball · current

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. last — final
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. last — to go on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. toast — bread
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. last — finally
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. current — electric
  16. ball — a great time
  17. root — the cause
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. root — of a plant
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. roll — a list
  23. root — of a word
  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