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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: bay · spell · bear · wax · bore · saw · swing · fork

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. spell — letters
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. swing — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bear — the animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bore — to drill
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bore — to tire
  16. spell — magic
  17. wax — to grow
  18. swing — to play on
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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