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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. hand — part of the body
  2. swing — music
  3. bound — certain
  4. wax — to grow
  5. saw — the tool
  6. band — a ring
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bound — tied together
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. saw — the tool
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — hurry
  18. bound — obliged
  19. hand — in cards
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. band — a music group
  22. hand — help
  23. wax — in the ear
  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