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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. press — newspapers
  5. band — a ring
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. press — a publisher
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. content — happy
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. press — to push
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bank — of a river
  20. band — a music group
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bank — for money
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. content — the amount

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