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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: perch · wax · deal · bat · stand · patient · swing · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wind — moving air
  4. swing — in golf
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bat — the animal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. swing — music
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stand — to bear
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. swing — to play on
  24. perch — for a bird

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