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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: court · plane · snap · foot · pit · suit · wax · arm

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. snap — to click
  6. wax — to grow
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. suit — in cards
  11. court — of a king
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. court — for sport
  15. suit — clothes
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. plane — a tool
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. court — of law
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pit — a hole

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