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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: row · craft · swing · roll · wax · rash · nail · net

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. swing — music
  5. rash — a series
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. net — after costs
  15. swing — to play on
  16. row — to paddle
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — a list
  19. net — for catching
  20. row — a line
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. swing — in golf
  24. net — in sport

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