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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. file — a document
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. spring — a coil
  11. chip — for betting
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. file — a tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. file — a line of people
  16. spring — the season
  17. mug — a face
  18. spring — of water
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. kick — in football
  22. bank — of a river
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bank — for money

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