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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. bank — of a river
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. deal — to handle
  10. bank — for money
  11. chest — a box
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. chest — of your body
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bark — to shout
  23. chest — of your body
  24. deal — a big deal

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