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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. court — for sport
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. row — to paddle
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bank — for money
  13. court — of a king
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cue — for pool
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bat — the animal
  22. court — of law
  23. row — a line
  24. cue — a hint

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