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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 120 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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. swing — in golf
  7. kid — to tease
  8. ball — a dance
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. press — newspapers
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. kid — child
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. press — to push
  24. ruler — for measuring

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