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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. club — a group
  4. wax — to grow
  5. club — for golf
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — from crying
  8. row — a line
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mug — a cup
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. mug — a face
  16. tear — to rip
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. row — to paddle
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. mug — to rob

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