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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. net — after costs
  3. rock — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. net — for catching
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. wax — to grow
  13. tube — the underground
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. net — in sport
  23. toast — bread
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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