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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wax — to grow
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. ball — a dance
  8. field — a subject
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mate — a friend
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. bank — for money
  14. field — farmland
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mate — a partner
  18. court — of a king
  19. bank — of a river
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mug — to rob
  22. ball — a great time
  23. mate — to breed
  24. field — for sport

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