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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. row — a line
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. march — the month
  7. bank — for money
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wax — to grow
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. march — music
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. march — the month
  21. lie — to recline
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wax — in the ear

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