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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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. swing — to play on
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wake — a trail
  6. staff — employees
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. march — music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. march — the month
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. march — the month
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. swing — in golf
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. race — a contest
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. staff — a stick
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rush — hurry
  23. staff — employees
  24. race — humankind

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