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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
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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: bass · lean · wax · fine · can · squash · plane · kid

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bass — low music
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. can — a tin
  8. wax — to grow
  9. kid — to tease
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. squash — the sport
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lean — thin
  14. fine — high quality
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. squash — to crush
  22. kid — child
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fine — all right

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