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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bank — for money
  3. present — a gift
  4. bank — for money
  5. degree — an amount
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. can — a tin
  8. current — happening now
  9. present — there
  10. wind — moving air
  11. present — the time now
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. toast — bread
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. degree — from a university
  17. can — a tin
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wind — moving air
  21. current — of water
  22. wax — to grow
  23. current — electric
  24. wax — in the ear

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