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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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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: club · wave · staff · wax · arm · bat · coach · pass

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bat — the animal
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. staff — employees
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. club — for golf
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pass — a permit
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. staff — employees
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. club — a group

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