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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 116 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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. shower — to wash
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bank — for money
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. scale — in music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fine — high quality
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fine — all right
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. scale — size or range
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. shower — rain
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. bank — of a river
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wax — to grow

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