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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bank — for money
  7. charge — a price
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bass — low music
  10. charge — in control
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. season — in sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bank — for money
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. season — of the year
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rash — a series
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. row — to paddle
  24. row — a quarrel

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