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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. present — there
  5. wax — to grow
  6. pit — a hole
  7. squash — to crush
  8. stand — to bear
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. squash — the sport
  12. present — a gift
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. present — the time now
  15. pit — in a race
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bank — for money
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bank — of a river
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bank — for money
  24. mine — for digging

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