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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. wax — to grow
  9. chest — a box
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. chest — of your body
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chest — of your body
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. board — a committee
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. bank — of a river

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