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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: squash · season · lean · swing · wind · rest · wax · rash

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. swing — to play on
  7. season — in sport
  8. rest — what's left
  9. season — of the year
  10. rest — a break
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rash — a series
  13. lean — thin
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wind — moving air
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. lean — to bend
  21. squash — to crush
  22. swing — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. rash — hasty

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