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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: pit · mate · wind · swing · rash · wax · bay · bank

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. wind — moving air
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rash — hasty
  7. mate — a friend
  8. rash — a series
  9. swing — to play on
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bank — of a river
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wax — to grow
  21. swing — music
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mate — a partner

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