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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. roll — a cake
  3. swing — in golf
  4. roll — a list
  5. chest — a box
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stand — to bear
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. chest — of your body
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stand — for spectators

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