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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wax · swing · arm · rush · bowl · cabinet · season · march

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. season — in sport
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rush — hurry
  10. swing — to play on
  11. march — music
  12. season — of the year
  13. swing — in golf
  14. march — the month
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. wax — to grow
  23. swing — music
  24. march — the month

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