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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. scale — size or range
  3. content — happy
  4. stand — to bear
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. scale — in music
  8. object — a thing
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. content — the amount
  12. bank — for money
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bank — of a river
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wax — for sculpting

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