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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 116 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: wax · rash · tube · face · board · swing · file · kick

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. face — to point toward
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rash — a series
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. kick — in football
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. board — a committee
  11. tube — the underground
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. swing — in golf
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. face — part of the head
  18. tube — a container
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. file — a tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. file — a document
  23. face — to confront
  24. swing — to play on

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