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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. bank — for money
  3. suit — clothes
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bore — to tire
  6. land — a country
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. land — ground
  10. wax — to grow
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — to fit
  13. land — to come down
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bank — for money
  18. season — of the year
  19. game — a match
  20. season — in sport
  21. bass — the fish
  22. game — wild animals
  23. bass — low music
  24. bore — gave birth

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