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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. club — for golf
  3. wax — to grow
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. land — ground
  9. spring — the season
  10. club — a group
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. branch — a division
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. spring — of water
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. land — to come down
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rock — music
  21. land — a country
  22. spring — a coil
  23. club — for dancing
  24. bowl — to roll

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