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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. band — a music group
  3. bank — for money
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cue — a hint
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bass — low music
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bank — for money
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. season — of the year
  20. season — in sport
  21. bank — of a river
  22. band — a ring
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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