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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 120 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: straw · calf · swing · mark · march · bowl · club · wax

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. swing — to play on
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. club — a group
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. march — music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. club — for golf
  12. mark — a grade
  13. swing — music
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mark — a trace
  16. march — the month
  17. march — the month
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. bowl — to roll

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