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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bass — the fish
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. game — a match
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bass — low music
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bank — of a river
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. calf — a young animal

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