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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. club — for golf
  6. object — to protest
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. date — the fruit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. club — for dancing
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. object — a thing
  18. stem — to come from
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. object — an aim
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wax — to grow
  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