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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ball — a dance
  5. lean — to bend
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. kid — child
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bark — to shout
  14. ball — a great time
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. club — for golf
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. club — a group
  23. kid — to tease
  24. mouse — for a computer

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