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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. lie — to recline
  7. cap — a hat
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. content — the amount
  16. suit — to fit
  17. cap — a lid
  18. row — to paddle
  19. content — happy
  20. row — a line
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. suit — in cards
  24. content — videos and posts

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