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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. bank — for money
  3. object — a thing
  4. wind — moving air
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. bank — for money
  9. spring — of water
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. object — to protest
  12. spring — a coil
  13. stand — to bear
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spring — the season
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. pass — a permit
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pop — soda
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bank — of a river

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