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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. key — in music
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. plane — a tool
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. key — the most important part
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. last — to go on
  11. date — the fruit
  12. kid — child
  13. last — final
  14. kid — to tease
  15. hand — help
  16. wax — to grow
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. last — finally
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. snap — to click
  24. key — for a lock

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