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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. ball — a great time
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. press — newspapers
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. press — a publisher
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. ball — a dance
  24. press — to push

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