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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: wax · board · lash · hand · wind · deal · swing · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. deal — to handle
  3. hand — in cards
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. board — a committee
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. season — in sport
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. swing — to play on
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hand — help
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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