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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: trunk · date · snap · face · saw · wax · pass · rush

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rush — hurry
  5. face — part of the head
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wax — to grow
  17. saw — the tool
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. snap — to click
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rush — to hurry

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