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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · kick · plane · bear · field · rock · can · wax

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. kick — in football
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. field — farmland
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. field — for sport
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. rock — a stone
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rock — music
  24. field — a subject

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