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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. club — for dancing
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. court — of law
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. pass — a permit
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. court — of a king
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. club — for golf
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. row — a line
  21. wax — to grow
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — to paddle
  24. court — for sport

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