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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 120 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: game · lean · wax · swing · dip · cell · wave · board

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. cell — in biology
  6. wax — to grow
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. swing — to play on
  9. swing — in golf
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — to bend
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. dip — to sink
  17. game — a match
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. swing — music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. lean — thin
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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