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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. toast — bread
  3. wax — to grow
  4. object — to protest
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. object — a thing
  7. bank — for money
  8. tube — the underground
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. track — to keep track
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. tube — a container
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. track — a song
  16. deal — to handle
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bank — of a river
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. track — a path
  23. bank — for money
  24. object — an aim

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