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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: rash · pitch · snap · lie · fork · swing · cue · wax

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. swing — in golf
  4. rash — hasty
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fork — in a road
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. swing — to play on
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rash — a series
  15. wax — to grow
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lie — to recline
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. snap — to click
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cue — a signal
  23. swing — music
  24. wax — in the ear

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