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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. cell — a phone
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. wax — to grow
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. last — final
  10. track — a song
  11. last — to go on
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. last — finally
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cell — in biology
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. cell — in a prison
  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