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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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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: snap · racket · toast · ruler · nail · date · wax · pop

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. wax — to grow
  4. date — the fruit
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. pop — soda
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pop — music
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. toast — bread
  22. pop — to visit
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wax — in the ear

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