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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. wax — to grow
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bank — for money
  6. cue — for pool
  7. key — in music
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bat — the animal
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. band — a ring
  17. key — for a lock
  18. foot — a measure
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. band — a music group
  21. bank — of a river
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. deal — a big deal

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