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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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. march — the month
  5. bank — for money
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bank — of a river
  9. kid — child
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. bank — for money
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. can — a tin
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. kid — to tease
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. net — in sport
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. march — music
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. calf — of the leg

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