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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. club — for golf
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. date — the fruit
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. capital — money
  14. rash — a series
  15. rock — music
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. capital — a city
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rock — a stone
  22. toast — bread
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. capital — a big letter

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