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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. net — after costs
  3. lean — to bend
  4. club — a group
  5. current — of water
  6. club — for dancing
  7. snap — to click
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. court — of law
  11. bank — for money
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. net — for catching
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. current — happening now
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. club — for golf
  18. lean — thin
  19. net — in sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. current — electric
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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