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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bore — to tire
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. track — a song
  6. object — an aim
  7. band — a ring
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — for money
  13. bore — to drill
  14. object — a thing
  15. track — a path
  16. bank — for money
  17. band — a music group
  18. sharp — clever
  19. object — to protest
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. track — to keep track
  24. hide — animal skin

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