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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. march — the month
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. march — music
  12. stock — shares
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. march — the month
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spring — of water
  24. stock — goods

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