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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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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: ruler · plane · current · wax · wound · toast · rest · stick

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. current — electric
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. toast — bread
  6. current — of water
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. current — happening now
  13. rest — a break
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. plane — an aircraft

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