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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: squash · board · spring · swing · wax · bulb · present · wake

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. spring — of water
  3. squash — to crush
  4. present — there
  5. board — a committee
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. spring — a coil
  9. swing — in golf
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spring — the season
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bulb — for light
  21. swing — music
  22. wake — a trail
  23. board — to get on
  24. present — a gift

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