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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. present — the time now
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. band — a ring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bank — for money
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bank — of a river
  18. present — a gift
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. band — a music group
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. present — there
  24. band — a rubber band

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