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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 116 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bank — for money
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mark — a grade
  7. drill — the tool
  8. drill — a practice
  9. land — to come down
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. land — a country
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. drill — army training
  14. mark — a trace
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. land — ground
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cell — a phone
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. hide — animal skin

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