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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bank — for money
  3. net — after costs
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bank — for money
  7. cell — in biology
  8. wax — to grow
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bank — of a river
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pass — a permit
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. net — for catching

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