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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. shower — rain
  3. swing — in golf
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. swing — music
  8. firm — decided
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. shower — to wash
  12. firm — steady
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. firm — a company
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. coach — a trainer

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