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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.

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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: swing · cabinet · deal · arm · wax · drill · court · foot

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. drill — army training
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. swing — in golf
  6. court — for sport
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. court — of a king
  9. swing — music
  10. wax — to grow
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. court — of law
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. foot — a measure
  20. drill — a practice
  21. swing — to play on
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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