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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. craft — a skill
  7. row — a line
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. craft — boats
  12. lean — to bend
  13. row — to paddle
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bank — of a river
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lean — thin
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. craft — a handicraft

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