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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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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bound — obliged
  6. club — a group
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. club — for dancing
  10. cell — in biology
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bound — tied together
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cell — a phone
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. club — for golf
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bound — certain
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hide — animal skin

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