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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bank — of a river
  6. swing — to play on
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. plane — a tool
  10. field — a subject
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bank — for money
  13. swing — music
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. swing — in golf
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. field — farmland
  20. bound — certain
  21. bank — for money
  22. bound — obliged
  23. field — for sport
  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