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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rock — music
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — of ice
  9. rock — a stone
  10. craft — boats
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. firm — steady
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cap — a hat
  16. firm — decided
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. firm — a company

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