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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: rash · wax · stand · shower · bulb · pass · lean · swing

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stand — to bear
  8. rash — a series
  9. bulb — for light
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bulb — for light
  12. swing — to play on
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. shower — to wash
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. shower — rain
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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