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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bank — for money
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. roll — a cake
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mug — to rob
  10. roll — a list
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. land — to come down
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. bank — for money
  15. row — to paddle
  16. scale — in music
  17. land — a country
  18. mug — a cup
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. wax — to grow
  21. row — a line
  22. mug — a face
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. scale — size or range

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