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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 116 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wax — to grow
  4. mug — to rob
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. club — a group
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. mug — a cup
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wound — an injury
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wound — an injury
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mug — a face
  24. sharp — exactly

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