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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 120 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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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: kid · wax · hide · chip · ruler · plane · drill · tube

  1. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. chip — to eat
  8. kid — child
  9. wax — to grow
  10. tube — a container
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. drill — the tool
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  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