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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 116 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: wax · deal · vault · lean · stem · snap · clip · plane

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. clip — to cut
  3. lean — to bend
  4. wax — to grow
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. clip — a video
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stem — to come from
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. vault — a safe
  19. snap — to click
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. clip — for paper
  23. lean — thin
  24. stem — a stem cell

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