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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ball — a dance
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bank — for money
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ball — a great time
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bank — for money
  16. drill — army training
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pass — a permit
  20. spring — of water
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pass — to succeed

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