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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: straw · plane · current · snap · chip · hide · jam · wax

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wax — to grow
  3. current — of water
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chip — to eat
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. chip — for betting
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. current — happening now
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. snap — to click
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. current — electric
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. hide — to keep secret

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