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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
468
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: bound · toast · court · roll · lash · craft · club · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. club — a group
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. toast — bread
  9. craft — boats
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bound — obliged
  12. court — of law
  13. club — for golf
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. court — for sport
  16. club — for dancing
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. craft — a skill
  22. court — of a king
  23. roll — a cake
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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