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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: pop · suit · wax · cabinet · swing · shower · mine · squash

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pop — music
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pop — soda
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. swing — music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. swing — to play on
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. suit — to fit
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pop — to visit
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wax — to grow

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