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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bank · pound · bay · bowl · cell · wax · snap · ruler

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bank — of a river
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bank — for money
  21. bank — for money
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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