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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wax — to grow
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. chip — for betting
  9. bank — for money
  10. bound — certain
  11. last — finally
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. net — after costs
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chip — to eat
  17. net — for catching
  18. last — final
  19. rest — a break
  20. bound — obliged
  21. row — a line
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bound — tied together
  24. last — to go on

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