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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. face — part of the head
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wax — to grow
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. bank — for money
  14. rest — what's left
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. rash — a series
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. saw — the tool

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