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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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. ball — a great time
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. plane — a tool
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. squash — to crush
  13. present — there
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. present — the time now
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. present — a gift
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. snap — to click
  24. bore — to tire

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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