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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. content — happy
  3. bank — for money
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. wax — to grow
  9. content — the amount
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lean — thin
  12. pass — a permit
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bank — of a river
  15. root — the cause
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. lean — to bend
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cabinet — ministers

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