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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. club — for dancing
  4. rock — a stone
  5. club — a group
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. season — of the year
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. season — in sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bark — to shout
  18. club — for golf
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ball — a dance
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rock — 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