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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to click
  4. field — farmland
  5. content — the amount
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. field — a subject
  10. content — happy
  11. bank — for money
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. field — for sport
  14. staff — employees
  15. bank — for money
  16. wax — to grow
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. bank — of a river

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