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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: mug · pitcher · wave · wax · game · kick · cell · swing

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. kick — in football
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mug — a cup
  13. cell — in biology
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mug — a face
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wax — for sculpting

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