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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 116 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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fork — in a road
  8. club — for golf
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. club — for dancing
  14. prune — to trim
  15. club — a group
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. snap — to click
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  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