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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · tear · bat · wax · club · rest

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. club — a group
  3. tear — from crying
  4. club — for dancing
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rule — government
  8. tear — from crying
  9. club — for golf
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bat — the animal
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rule — a law
  17. tear — to rip
  18. wax — to grow

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