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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. club — for golf
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. club — a group
  9. rest — a break
  10. wax — to grow
  11. mate — a partner
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — an aim
  15. rest — what's left
  16. face — to point toward
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. face — to confront
  24. rest — what's left

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