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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 116 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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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: rock · swing · lash · bear · bat · pass · tear · wax

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rock — music
  5. tear — to rip
  6. swing — music
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. tear — from crying
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. tear — from crying
  19. pass — a permit
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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