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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: saw · mark · swing · wax · rush · race · bore · chest

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. race — the arms race
  7. chest — of your body
  8. race — humankind
  9. bore — to drill
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. mark — a grade
  13. race — a contest
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. swing — music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rush — hurry
  23. swing — in golf
  24. wax — to grow

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