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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 120 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — to grow
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. scale — in music
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. track — a song
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. foot — a measure

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