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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 116 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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. staff — employees
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. last — finally
  7. rash — hasty
  8. club — for dancing
  9. rule — a law
  10. rash — a series
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. rule — government
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. club — for golf
  19. staff — employees
  20. wax — to grow
  21. last — to go on
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. last — final
  24. wax — for sculpting

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