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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bank — of a river
  3. present — a gift
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. present — the time now
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rush — hurry
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. chair — a leader
  19. present — there
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bank — for money
  24. leaves — lets stay

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