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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: wax · perch · plane · field · fan · snap · wind · safe

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wind — moving air
  6. plane — a tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. field — a subject
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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