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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pass — a permit
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rock — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. mark — a grade
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. swing — music
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bat — the animal
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. wind — moving air
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mark — a trace

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