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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 116 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: chip · swing · sharp · wax · bore · trunk · bowl · dip

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bore — to drill
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. swing — in golf
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. dip — to sink
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — to eat
  21. sharp — clever
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bore — gave birth

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