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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wind — moving air
  3. field — for sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — to grow
  6. drill — army training
  7. field — a subject
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wind — moving air
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. drill — the tool
  15. field — farmland
  16. staff — employees
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bank — for money
  23. staff — employees
  24. wind — to turn a key

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