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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. capital — money
  3. wax — to grow
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. capital — a city
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. row — to paddle
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. row — a line
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. perch — the fish
  24. safe — out of danger

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