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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bank — of a river
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. degree — temperature
  7. bass — low music
  8. track — to keep track
  9. degree — an amount
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bass — the fish
  12. mug — a cup
  13. degree — from a university
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. track — a song
  16. row — a line
  17. suit — clothes
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bank — for money
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — in cards
  23. track — a path
  24. bank — for money

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