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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: firm · plane · wax · cold · arm · craft · jam · snap

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. snap — to click
  7. firm — steady
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — an illness
  11. craft — boats
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. wax — to grow
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. craft — a skill
  20. plane — a tool
  21. firm — a company
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. firm — decided
  24. arm — part of the body

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