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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. present — the time now
  6. bank — of a river
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. content — happy
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. present — a gift
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. present — there
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wax — to grow
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bank — for money
  23. content — the amount
  24. lean — thin

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