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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: stick · swing · bulb · coach · wind · jam · shower · wax

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. wind — moving air
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. shower — to wash
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — to grow
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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