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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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: lean · bank · spell · bay · field · date · wax · stick

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. spell — magic
  8. wax — to grow
  9. spell — letters
  10. field — for sport
  11. spell — a short time
  12. lean — to bend
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. field — farmland
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bank — for money
  19. lean — thin
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a horse colour

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