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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fall — the season
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fall — to drop
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. fall — to drop
  14. staff — employees
  15. pop — soda
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. staff — employees
  18. pop — music
  19. toast — bread
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. ball — a dance
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wax — in the ear

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