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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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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 · stock · wax · tear · bass · kick · rock · race

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. swing — music
  4. race — humankind
  5. tear — to rip
  6. kick — in football
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bass — low music
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. race — the arms race
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stock — shares
  16. rock — music
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stock — goods
  19. swing — to play on
  20. tear — from crying
  21. race — a contest
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wax — for sculpting

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