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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: saw · toast · calf · club · bound · wax · squash · ball

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  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. club — for golf
  2. wax — to grow
  3. club — a group
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. ball — a dance
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — tied together
  14. squash — to crush
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bound — certain
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. squash — the sport
  19. ball — a great time
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. club — for dancing
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bound — obliged
  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