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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lie — to recline
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. bat — the animal
  13. current — happening now
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bank — for money
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fork — in a road
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bank — for money
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. coach — a trainer

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