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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: arm · deal · dip · wax · swing · ground · leaves · pop

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. swing — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. dip — to sink
  12. swing — to play on
  13. deal — to handle
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pop — to visit
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pop — music
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. swing — in golf

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