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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bass — low music
  5. content — happy
  6. bass — the fish
  7. drill — army training
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bank — for money
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bank — for money
  17. can — a tin
  18. bank — of a river
  19. suit — to fit
  20. can — a tin
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. can — to be able to
  23. content — the amount
  24. suit — clothes

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