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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. firm — steady
  6. land — ground
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bank — for money
  18. mine — for digging
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. firm — a company
  23. bank — for money
  24. firm — decided

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