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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. spring — a coil
  5. wake — a trail
  6. mark — a grade
  7. shower — rain
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wax — to grow
  10. band — a ring
  11. bank — for money
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — a trace
  18. spring — of water
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. shower — to wash
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. spring — the season
  24. cabinet — ministers

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