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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
468
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 · wax · land · jam · wake · lie · hide · foot

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. swing — music
  4. land — a country
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. swing — in golf
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. foot — a measure
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. land — ground
  12. wax — to grow
  13. swing — to play on
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. land — to come down
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wake — a trail
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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