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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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. can — a tin
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. wax — to grow
  8. can — to be able to
  9. prune — to trim
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. bank — for money
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bank — for money
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. can — a tin
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bank — of a river
  24. deal — to handle

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