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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bank — for money
  3. cell — a phone
  4. snap — to click
  5. wax — to grow
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. land — ground
  8. land — to come down
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cell — in biology
  18. land — a country
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bank — of a river
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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