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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. cap — a hat
  3. file — a line of people
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lean — thin
  8. pop — music
  9. wax — to grow
  10. file — a tool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. club — for dancing
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. cap — of ice
  23. file — a document
  24. safe — out of danger

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