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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 116 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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. pound — a weight
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bank — for money
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lean — thin
  10. club — for dancing
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cap — a hat
  13. lean — to bend
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bank — for money
  20. club — a group
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. bank — of a river
  23. swing — in golf
  24. cap — of ice

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