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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. plane — a tool
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pit — in a race
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. wax — to grow
  7. charge — a price
  8. charge — in control
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. snap — to click
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — moving air
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pit — a hole
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. wax — in the ear

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