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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bank — for money
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cue — for pool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rash — a series
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. staff — a stick
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rash — hasty
  14. craft — boats
  15. chest — a box
  16. cue — a hint
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. cue — a signal
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bank — for money
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. craft — a skill

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