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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 120 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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. fine — all right
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. root — of a plant
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wind — moving air
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bank — for money
  16. root — of a word
  17. wake — a trail
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. root — the cause
  24. wax — in the ear

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