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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bass — low music
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. kid — child
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pit — a hole
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. snap — to click
  15. charge — a price
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. pit — in a race
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. charge — in control
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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