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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bank — for money
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. fall — the season
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bank — for money
  24. fine — all right

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