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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. object — to protest
  3. land — ground
  4. drill — the tool
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bank — for money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bank — of a river
  9. object — an aim
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. drill — a practice
  13. land — a country
  14. bear — the animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. land — to come down
  17. drill — army training
  18. object — a thing
  19. bank — for money
  20. rush — hurry
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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