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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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bank — for money
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. last — final
  8. bank — for money
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. last — finally
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. last — to go on
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mine — for digging
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bank — of a river
  24. mouse — the animal

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