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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. firm — decided
  8. bear — the animal
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. firm — steady
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. firm — a company
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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