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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 116 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: swing · wax · can · kid · bore · bay · plane · season

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bore — to drill
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. swing — in golf
  8. can — to be able to
  9. season — of the year
  10. can — a tin
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. swing — music
  15. plane — a tool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bore — to tire
  20. kid — to tease
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wax — to grow
  23. season — in sport
  24. kid — child

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