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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: branch · plane · land · mug · wax · snap · hand · safe

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mug — to rob
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. land — to come down
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. hand — in cards
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. land — ground
  19. mug — a cup
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. wax — to grow
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mug — a face

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