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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bank — of a river
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bank — for money
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. spring — a coil
  10. deal — to handle
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bank — for money
  13. track — a path
  14. snap — to click
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. spring — of water
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spring — the season
  20. shower — rain
  21. track — a song
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. shower — to wash
  24. hide — animal skin

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