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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. land — ground
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bank — for money
  6. board — a committee
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cap — a lid
  9. land — a country
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bank — of a river
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. land — to come down
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stem — to come from
  16. board — to get on
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — of ice
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cap — a hat
  23. toast — bread
  24. wax — to grow

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