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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. bank — for money
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. chip — for betting
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bank — for money
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. pop — soda
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pop — music
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wax — to grow
  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