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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: wax · wind · foot · swing · dip · net · cue · patient

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cue — for pool
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. swing — in golf
  8. net — for catching
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. net — in sport
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. swing — music
  15. net — after costs
  16. foot — a measure
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. cue — a hint
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. cue — a signal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wind — moving air
  24. foot — part of the body

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