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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. plane — a tool
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. kid — to tease
  14. row — a line
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. row — to paddle
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fork — to eat with

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