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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
468
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: wave · bound · rash · pitcher · current · swing · pop · wax

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bound — obliged
  4. current — electric
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pop — music
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. current — of water
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. current — happening now
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pop — soda
  16. swing — music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. swing — to play on
  21. swing — in golf
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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