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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. land — ground
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. object — a thing
  7. present — the time now
  8. net — for catching
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. present — there
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. land — a country
  14. object — to protest
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. object — an aim
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bank — for money
  20. present — a gift
  21. net — in sport
  22. wax — to grow
  23. land — to come down
  24. net — after costs

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