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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 · swing · board · club · rush · face · date · pitch

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pitch — completely
  3. swing — in golf
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. face — to confront
  6. club — for golf
  7. date — the fruit
  8. board — a committee
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. swing — music
  12. face — part of the head
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rush — hurry
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. board — to get on
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. swing — to play on

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