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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: pop · toast · pit · wax · ground · lie · wave · swing

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pop — soda
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pit — in a race
  6. swing — to play on
  7. toast — bread
  8. wax — to grow
  9. lie — to recline
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. pop — music
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. swing — in golf
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ground — crushed
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. ground — a position
  24. swing — music

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