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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bank — for money
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. last — to go on
  11. wake — a trail
  12. last — finally
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bank — for money
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. last — final
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. stem — to come from
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wax — to grow

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