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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bank — of a river
  5. clip — a video
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mark — a trace
  12. wax — to grow
  13. suit — clothes
  14. field — a subject
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. bank — for money
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. field — for sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bank — for money
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. field — farmland

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