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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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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: roll · race · ruler · swing · cell · kid · wave · wax

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. race — the arms race
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. swing — music
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — in biology
  11. roll — a cake
  12. kid — to tease
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. kid — child
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. race — humankind
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. roll — a list
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. swing — to play on
  23. wax — to grow
  24. race — a contest

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