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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  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. pop — soda
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bank — of a river
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. clip — a video
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. clip — for paper
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pop — music
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. band — a ring
  18. clip — to cut
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. band — a music group
  21. bank — for money
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. band — a rubber band
  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