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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. wax — to grow
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. court — for sport
  10. last — to go on
  11. rush — hurry
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. last — final
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. plane — a tool
  17. court — of a king
  18. last — finally
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. court — of law
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. snap — to click
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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