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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. 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. row — to paddle
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bank — for money
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. row — a line
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. stem — to come from
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. 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