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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: pass · swing · roll · wax · hand · last · arm · leaves

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. swing — in golf
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. hand — help
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. hand — in cards
  9. swing — music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. last — finally
  12. roll — a list
  13. swing — to play on
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. wax — to grow
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. last — final
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. last — to go on
  21. pass — a permit
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. roll — a cake

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