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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bank — for money
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. club — a group
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. plane — a tool
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. bank — of a river
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. club — for dancing
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wax — to grow
  23. club — for golf
  24. cold — the Cold War

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