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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rock — music
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wax — to grow
  7. band — a music group
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rock — a stone
  10. foot — a measure
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. band — a ring
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. can — a tin
  16. toast — bread
  17. can — a tin
  18. band — a rubber band

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