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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 coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — music
  3. file — a document
  4. kid — child
  5. drill — the tool
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. drill — army training
  8. swing — to play on
  9. file — a tool
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wax — to grow
  12. lean — to bend
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. chip — to eat
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. file — a line of people
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. chip — for betting

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