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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 120 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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chair — a leader
  4. club — for dancing
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. swing — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. club — a group
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. sharp — clever
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. swing — to play on
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. saw — the tool
  23. club — for golf
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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