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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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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: object · snap · wax · chip · squash · drill · pass · tube

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. drill — a practice
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. object — an aim
  7. chip — for betting
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pass — a permit
  11. object — a thing
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. chip — to eat
  14. wax — to grow
  15. snap — to click
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. drill — army training
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. tube — a container
  23. object — to protest
  24. pass — to spend time

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