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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. rock — a stone
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bank — for money
  5. track — a path
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. game — wild animals
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bank — for money
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bank — of a river
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. track — to keep track
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. track — a song
  21. rock — music
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rock — to move gently

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