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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 120 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: spell · wax · sharp · rule · fine · fall · swing · rock

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. sharp — clever
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — to play on
  5. fall — the season
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. rule — a law
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fine — all right
  13. spell — a short time
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. spell — letters
  16. rule — government
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rock — music
  19. wax — to grow
  20. swing — in golf
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. spell — magic
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fine — high quality

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