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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. bank — for money
  3. wax — to grow
  4. land — a country
  5. charge — electricity
  6. race — humankind
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. land — to come down
  9. bank — of a river
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. land — ground
  12. bank — for money
  13. mate — a friend
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. race — the arms race
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — a price
  20. race — a contest
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bulb — for light
  24. mate — a partner

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