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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. staff — employees
  3. club — for golf
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. present — there
  7. wax — to grow
  8. can — a tin
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. can — to be able to
  12. staff — employees
  13. can — a tin
  14. staff — a stick
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wind — moving air
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. club — a group
  19. present — a gift
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. wind — moving air
  24. club — for dancing

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