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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 water is too ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cold — an illness
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — to grow
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. net — after costs
  22. toast — bread
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bank — for money

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