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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pop — to visit
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bank — for money
  9. wind — moving air
  10. band — a ring
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bank — for money
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — a safe
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. band — a music group
  21. bank — of a river
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pop — soda

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