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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bank — for money
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. season — in sport
  7. wax — to grow
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bank — for money
  13. season — of the year
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. pop — to visit
  16. band — a ring
  17. bank — of a river
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pop — soda
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. band — a music group
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — an agreement

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