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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. club — for golf
  5. foot — a measure
  6. snap — to click
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. wax — to grow
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bear — the animal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. lean — to bend
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. chip — for betting
  19. bear — the animal
  20. club — a group
  21. chip — to eat
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. lean — thin
  24. club — for dancing

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