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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 120 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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. stock — goods
  12. rock — a stone
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. rock — music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bank — for money
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stock — shares

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