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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. club — for golf
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bank — for money
  6. squash — to crush
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. scale — size or range
  19. club — for dancing
  20. club — a group
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. squash — the vegetable

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