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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: firm · swing · rush · spell · wax · bowl · lie · shower

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. shower — rain
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. swing — in golf
  13. firm — a company
  14. spell — letters
  15. wax — to grow
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. swing — music
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. spell — magic
  21. rush — hurry
  22. firm — decided
  23. spell — a short time
  24. rush — a thrill

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