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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 120 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chair — a leader
  8. prune — to trim
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. rest — a break
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bank — for money
  15. prune — to trim
  16. rest — what's left
  17. present — a gift
  18. deal — to handle
  19. bank — for money
  20. present — there
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. present — the time now
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wax — to grow

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