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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stock — goods
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stock — shares
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. craft — a skill
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bark — to shout
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. craft — boats
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. prune — to trim
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bank — for money
  24. tear — from crying

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