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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. field — for sport
  3. pop — soda
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. bank — of a river
  6. track — a path
  7. bank — for money
  8. pop — music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rash — hasty
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wax — to grow
  20. track — to keep track
  21. pop — to visit
  22. track — a song
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rash — a series

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