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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: degree · swing · jam · coach · wax · lash · pop · staff

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. swing — music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pop — music
  9. staff — a stick
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. degree — an amount
  18. staff — employees
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. degree — from a university
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. staff — employees
  24. pop — soda

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