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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. fall — the season
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. season — of the year
  9. ball — a great time
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. swing — to play on
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. season — in sport
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. fall — to drop
  24. branch — a division

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