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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. can — to be able to
  4. game — wild animals
  5. lean — to bend
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wax — to grow
  10. can — a tin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lean — thin
  13. club — a group
  14. land — ground
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. land — to come down
  17. club — for dancing
  18. land — a country
  19. can — a tin
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. lean — to rest against

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