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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: foot · cold · leaves · ruler · stock · plane · wake · wax

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. cold — an illness
  6. stock — goods
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. stock — shares
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — a measure
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. cold — not warm

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