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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: can · plane · swing · wax · rule · mug · content · roll

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  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. roll — a list
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. rule — government
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. roll — a cake
  8. content — the amount
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. mug — to rob
  12. content — happy
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rule — a law
  18. can — a tin
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mug — a face
  22. plane — a tool
  23. swing — in golf
  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