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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
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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: wax · field · season · wind · bass · foot · nail · plane

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. field — for sport
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — a subject
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. bass — low music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wind — moving air
  16. foot — a measure
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bass — the fish
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. wind — moving air
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. wind — to turn a key

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