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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. race — humankind
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. kick — in football
  5. bank — for money
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. bank — for money
  14. present — the time now
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wax — to grow
  18. net — after costs
  19. present — a gift
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. race — a contest
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wake — a trail
  24. present — there

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