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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: pop · arm · swing · drill · wax · lash · racket · ground

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pop — to visit
  3. ground — the earth
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. drill — army training
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pop — music
  15. swing — in golf
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. drill — a practice
  24. pop — soda

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