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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: swing · roll · jam · mug · lean · hide · foot · wax

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. lean — thin
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wax — to grow
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. roll — a list
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. roll — a cake
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — in golf

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