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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bank — for money
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bat — the animal
  24. wax — to grow

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