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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: nail · leaves · wax · swing · court · can · jam · kid

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. swing — in golf
  3. wax — to grow
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. court — of a king
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. court — of law
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. court — for sport
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. can — to be able to
  20. swing — music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kid — child
  23. can — a tin
  24. leaves — to go away

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