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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. club — a group
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bat — the animal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. club — for golf
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mouse — for a computer

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