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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bank — of a river
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — for money
  7. wax — to grow
  8. chest — of your body
  9. kick — in football
  10. rock — a stone
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. cap — of ice
  15. chest — a box
  16. rock — music
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wax — in the ear

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