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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wax — to grow
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. press — newspapers
  6. court — for sport
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. bank — for money
  11. spring — the season
  12. court — of a king
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. press — to push
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spring — of water
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. cap — a hat
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. court — of law

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