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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pop — soda
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — to grow
  5. branch — a division
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cue — a signal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bank — for money
  15. bore — to drill
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. pop — music
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. bass — low music
  24. bank — of a river

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