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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: charge · saw · bound · pop · wind · wax · foot · swing

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. swing — music
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. swing — in golf
  6. charge — electricity
  7. wind — moving air
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bound — certain
  10. charge — in control
  11. saw — the tool
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pop — to visit
  15. saw — the tool
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. charge — a price
  19. bound — obliged
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pop — music
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pop — soda
  24. bound — tied together

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