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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bound — obliged
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. mate — to breed
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bound — certain
  13. bank — for money
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — the amount
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bound — tied together
  22. ball — a dance
  23. content — happy
  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