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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bank — for money
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. band — a ring
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. face — to point toward
  12. track — a path
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. face — part of the head
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. band — a music group
  20. hand — help
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. track — to keep track
  24. face — to confront

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