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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. present — a gift
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. face — to confront
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rock — music
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. band — a music group
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rest — what's left
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — to grow
  20. present — there
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rest — a break

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