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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: snap · fork · plane · object · wax · pit · kid · rash

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. snap — to click
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. object — to protest
  5. plane — a tool
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. fork — in a road
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rash — a series
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. rash — hasty
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rash — on the skin

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