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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bank — for money
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bank — of a river
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. squash — the sport
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pound — a weight
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. rock — music
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. rock — a stone
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. squash — to crush
  22. spring — of water
  23. bank — for money
  24. row — a line

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