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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bank — of a river
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stock — goods
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — to grow
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stock — shares
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — to recline
  22. tube — a container
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. stock — a soup base

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