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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spell — letters
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. present — there
  6. march — the month
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. march — music
  12. spell — magic
  13. net — for catching
  14. present — a gift
  15. bank — for money
  16. present — the time now
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. net — in sport
  19. bank — for money
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. net — after costs
  24. march — the month

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