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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 116 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'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. degree — an amount
  3. wax — to grow
  4. last — to go on
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bore — to drill
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. degree — temperature
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bank — of a river
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bore — to tire
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. last — finally
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. net — for catching
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. last — final
  24. bore — gave birth

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