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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: wax · club · chip · bore · plane · ball · firm · kid

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. club — for dancing
  4. kid — to tease
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. firm — decided
  8. chip — for betting
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. firm — steady
  11. kid — child
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chip — to eat
  15. plane — a tool
  16. ball — a dance
  17. club — a group
  18. firm — a company
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. club — for golf
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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