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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bank — for money
  4. row — to paddle
  5. spell — letters
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. spell — magic
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. mark — a trace
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bank — for money
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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