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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. cue — a signal
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. content — happy
  11. hand — help
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bank — for money
  14. content — the amount
  15. wax — to grow
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. toast — bread
  20. hand — in cards
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bank — for money
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. safe — out of danger

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