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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: saw · wax · swing · bear · prune · bass · plane · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bass — low music
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. staff — employees
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. swing — in golf
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bass — the fish
  19. swing — music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. plane — a tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bear — the animal

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