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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 120 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bound — tied together
  6. club — a group
  7. snap — to click
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. key — in music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. key — for a lock
  14. club — for golf
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bark — to shout
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. pop — soda
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pop — music

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