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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. hand — in cards
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hand — help
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. toast — bread
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. roll — a list
  17. branch — a division
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. row — a line
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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