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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
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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 · pop · wax · plane · kick · coach · lean · spell

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. lean — thin
  3. pop — soda
  4. spell — a short time
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. spell — letters
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. lean — to bend
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. pop — music
  21. spell — magic
  22. plane — a tool
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pop — to visit

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