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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: club · wave · content · mug · key · bark · lash · wax

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. key — in music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. content — happy
  6. content — the amount
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mug — to rob
  14. club — for golf
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. key — the most important part
  20. club — a group
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bark — to shout

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