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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. roll — a list
  4. club — for golf
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. club — a group
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. club — for dancing
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pass — a permit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. roll — a cake
  14. lean — thin
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lie — to recline
  19. content — happy
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. date — the fruit
  23. content — the amount
  24. pass — to succeed

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