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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: ground · track · temple · swing · lash · dip · wax · rash

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. dip — to sink
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rash — a series
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ground — crushed
  13. swing — to play on
  14. track — a path
  15. track — a song
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. swing — music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rash — hasty
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. ground — a position

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