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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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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: ground · kick · swing · wax · race · rock · stick · foot

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. race — humankind
  6. rock — a stone
  7. race — a contest
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rock — music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ground — a position
  13. kick — in football
  14. race — the arms race
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. swing — music
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. swing — to play on
  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