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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.

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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: bank · board · race · swing · arm · fine · present · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. swing — music
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wax — to grow
  5. present — a gift
  6. bank — of a river
  7. swing — to play on
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. race — humankind
  11. fine — all right
  12. fine — high quality
  13. present — the time now
  14. race — a contest
  15. present — there
  16. race — the arms race
  17. bank — for money
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bank — for money
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. arm — a part of something

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