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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wax — to grow
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. chest — of your body
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. chest — a box
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. dip — to sink
  20. game — a match
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wax — in the ear

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