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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.

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: dip · rock · swing · land · march · perch · wax · wound

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rock — a stone
  3. land — ground
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wound — an injury
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. swing — music
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. swing — to play on
  13. land — a country
  14. rock — music
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. wax — to grow
  21. perch — the fish
  22. march — the month
  23. land — to come down
  24. wound — an injury

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