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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.

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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: date · wax · temple · tube · snap · present · plane · cap

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cap — a lid
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. plane — a tool
  7. date — the fruit
  8. tube — the underground
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cap — of ice
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wax — to grow
  14. tube — a container
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. present — a gift
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. present — the time now
  21. cap — a hat
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. temple — side of the head

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