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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wax — to grow
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. saw — the tool
  8. snap — to click
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bass — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — low music
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — for golf
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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