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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: wax · dip · file · swing · bound · object · kick · stem

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bound — certain
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. object — to protest
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. file — a document
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. file — a line of people
  12. object — a thing
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. swing — music
  15. bound — tied together
  16. kick — in football
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. file — a tool
  19. object — an aim
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bound — obliged
  23. wax — to grow
  24. kick — a thrill

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