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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.

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: wax · bass · net · content · bore · kid · jam · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. net — in sport
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bear — the animal
  12. content — the amount
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the fish
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. net — for catching
  21. content — happy
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bore — to tire
  24. net — after costs

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