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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — there
  3. present — the time now
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fine — high quality
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. band — a music group
  9. bank — of a river
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bank — for money
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fine — all right
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. track — a song
  20. band — a ring
  21. present — a gift
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. track — a path
  24. band — a rubber band

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