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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — to protest
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bank — of a river
  10. season — in sport
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bank — for money
  15. object — an aim
  16. season — of the year
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wound — an injury
  20. object — a thing
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. key — for a lock

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