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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: swing · tube · bay · arm · nail · bear · wax · foot

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bear — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. swing — music

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