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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: wave · swing · nail · arm · bowl · club · wax · bore

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. club — for dancing
  11. swing — in golf
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. club — for golf
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  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