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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: saw · can · kid · wax · wind · plane · game · press

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. saw — the tool
  3. can — a tin
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. plane — a tool
  6. kid — child
  7. wind — moving air
  8. press — to push
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. game — a match
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. press — a publisher
  13. wax — to grow
  14. kid — to tease
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. can — to be able to
  18. can — a tin
  19. saw — the tool
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. game — wild animals

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