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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 124 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: plane · wax · court · trunk · ball · snap · tube · pass

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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. plane — an aircraft
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. court — for sport
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ball — a dance
  8. plane — a tool
  9. snap — to click
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. court — of law
  13. tube — a container
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. pass — a permit
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. wax — to grow
  19. court — of a king
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pass — to succeed

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