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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 116 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. mine — for digging
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bank — for money
  8. cue — a signal
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. bank — for money
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — in football
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. row — to paddle
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cue — a hint
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. row — a line

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