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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. club — a group
  3. wax — to grow
  4. content — happy
  5. mug — to rob
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. roll — a cake
  10. club — for dancing
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. lean — thin
  14. rock — music
  15. club — for golf
  16. hand — help
  17. lean — to bend
  18. content — the amount
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. hand — in cards
  21. roll — a list
  22. mug — a cup
  23. mug — a face
  24. wax — for sculpting

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