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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. roll — a list
  3. wax — to grow
  4. swing — music
  5. fall — the season
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. roll — a cake
  15. fall — to drop
  16. swing — to play on
  17. ball — a great time
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ball — a dance

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