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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. present — the time now
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cap — a hat
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. rock — a stone
  14. row — a line
  15. present — a gift
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. row — to paddle
  19. present — there
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cap — of ice
  22. land — to come down
  23. bank — for money
  24. rock — music

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