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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. file — a document
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bank — for money
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. kick — in football
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. file — a line of people
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. file — a tool
  21. bank — for money
  22. bark — to shout
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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