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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: drill · plane · patient · foot · wax · mine · racket · swing

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. swing — music
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. plane — a tool
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. foot — a measure
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. swing — to play on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. drill — the tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mine — for digging
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. drill — army training
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — a practice
  23. swing — in golf
  24. foot — the bottom

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