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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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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wax — to grow
  3. swing — to play on
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. can — a tin
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. can — a tin
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bat — the animal
  12. key — in music
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. swing — music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. can — to be able to
  24. deal — an agreement

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