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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: dip · spell · pop · wax · swing · bound · board · ground

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. pop — to visit
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. swing — music
  5. bound — obliged
  6. swing — in golf
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pop — soda
  9. board — a committee
  10. bound — certain
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ground — crushed
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. dip — to sink
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pop — music
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wax — to grow
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. bound — tied together
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ground — a position
  24. spell — letters

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