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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: wax · calf · snap · wound · cabinet · toast · bound · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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 dancing
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. wax — to grow
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. club — a group
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. snap — to click
  13. wound — an injury
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. toast — bread
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bound — certain
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bound — tied together
  23. club — for golf
  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