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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wax — to grow
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bank — for money
  6. mate — a friend
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. drill — army training
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bank — for money
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. drill — a practice
  15. can — a tin
  16. mate — a partner
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. can — to be able to
  19. rest — what's left
  20. drill — the tool
  21. rest — a break
  22. can — a tin
  23. mate — to breed
  24. leaves — to go away

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