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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. wax — to grow
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. can — a tin
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. can — a tin
  13. spell — letters
  14. game — wild animals
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. game — a match
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. spell — a short time
  21. foot — a measure
  22. spell — magic
  23. pass — a permit
  24. foot — part of the body

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