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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: jam · rash · swing · bowl · straw · cue · wax · court

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. cue — a signal
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cue — a hint
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. court — of law
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. swing — music
  15. court — for sport
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. court — of a king
  18. cue — for pool
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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