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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bore — to tire
  3. net — in sport
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. net — for catching
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cap — a lid
  11. net — after costs
  12. chip — to eat
  13. bank — for money
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. cap — a hat
  21. chip — for betting
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rock — music
  24. chip — in a computer

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