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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. club — for dancing
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. track — a song
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. club — for golf
  8. tear — to rip
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bank — for money
  11. degree — an amount
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. tear — from crying
  16. track — to keep track
  17. tear — from crying
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. club — a group
  20. track — a path
  21. degree — from a university
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. snap — to click

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