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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wax — to grow
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cue — for pool
  9. track — a path
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. spell — magic
  12. club — a group
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. spell — letters
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. club — for golf
  19. track — a song
  20. club — for dancing
  21. spell — a short time
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. track — to keep track

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