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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. cap — a hat
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. swing — to play on
  7. cap — a lid
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. swing — in golf
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stand — to bear
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. wax — to grow
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — a practice

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