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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — steady
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. staff — employees
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — a company
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pitch — completely
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. swing — music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. staff — a stick
  21. date — the fruit
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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