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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: straw · swing · bank · shower · bound · leaves · wax · suit

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bank — for money
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bank — for money
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. swing — in golf
  11. bank — of a river
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — rain
  14. swing — to play on
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bound — tied together
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bound — obliged
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bound — certain
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. suit — to fit

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