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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wax · row · mug · ball · swing · pitcher · club · wind

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. swing — to play on
  5. club — for golf
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ball — a dance
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mug — to rob
  10. swing — music
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. swing — in golf
  14. row — a line
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ball — a great time
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mug — a cup
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. club — a group
  23. mug — a face
  24. wind — moving air

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