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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. can — to be able to
  3. kick — in football
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bank — for money
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hand — help
  9. ground — a position
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bank — of a river
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. season — in sport
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. season — of the year
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. season — to add flavour

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