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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wax — to grow
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. present — there
  16. row — a line
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bank — for money
  19. present — a gift
  20. wake — a trail
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fall — the season
  23. bank — for money
  24. wax — in the ear

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