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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: wax · game · swing · straw · firm · fan · stick · hand

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. hand — help
  4. swing — to play on
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — a company
  12. game — a match
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. firm — steady
  19. hand — in cards
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. game — wild animals
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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