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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. swing — in golf
  5. race — a contest
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bass — low music
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. degree — from a university
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. race — humankind
  17. swing — to play on
  18. degree — temperature
  19. race — the arms race
  20. wax — to grow
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bass — the fish

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