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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. hand — in cards
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. hand — help
  12. rock — music
  13. suit — in cards
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. rock — a stone
  18. suit — clothes

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