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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: pound · wave · last · lean · rock · swing · jam · wax

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. last — to go on
  3. wax — to grow
  4. last — finally
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rock — music
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rock — a stone
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. lean — thin
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. swing — in golf
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. last — final

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