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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. bear — the animal
  12. suit — in cards
  13. spring — a coil
  14. cue — a signal
  15. suit — clothes
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. row — a line
  18. cue — for pool
  19. suit — to fit
  20. spring — the season
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bank — for money
  24. row — to paddle

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