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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rock — music
  5. scale — in music
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bank — for money
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bank — for money
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rock — a stone
  17. row — a line
  18. bark — to shout
  19. scale — size or range
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bark — of a tree

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