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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bank — for money
  3. mug — to rob
  4. file — a document
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. mug — a face
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. file — a line of people
  14. squash — to crush
  15. file — a tool
  16. bat — the animal
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. row — a line

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