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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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. rash — on the skin
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bank — of a river
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bank — for money
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. charge — in control
  11. rash — hasty
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. deal — to handle
  16. charge — a price
  17. fall — to drop
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rash — a series

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