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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: bank · track · bore · swing · wax · plane · mine · jam

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. track — a path
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. mine — for digging
  5. swing — in golf
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bore — to drill
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bank — for money
  12. track — a song
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bore — to tire
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — music
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bank — for money
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bank — of a river
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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