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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. clip — for paper
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. degree — an amount
  11. clip — to cut
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. clip — a video
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — from a university
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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