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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. craft — a skill
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. craft — boats
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wax — to grow
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bank — of a river
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. toast — bread
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bank — for money
  19. band — a ring
  20. bank — for money
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wave — of the sea

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