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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. staff — employees
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bank — for money
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. kid — child
  9. wound — an injury
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. bank — for money
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wax — to grow
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bank — of a river
  20. staff — employees
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. kid — to tease

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