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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 120 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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. track — a path
  6. firm — decided
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — to grow
  10. track — a song
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. firm — steady
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. firm — a company
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. charge — in control
  24. track — to keep track

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