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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bank — for money
  4. rash — a series
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. field — for sport
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bulb — for light
  12. sharp — clever
  13. present — a gift
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bulb — for light
  17. field — a subject
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. present — there
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bank — for money
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. present — the time now

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