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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
468
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: shower · bank · march · deal · leaves · game · wax · fork

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. bank — for money
  2. game — a match
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. march — music
  7. deal — to handle
  8. shower — rain
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. march — the month
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bank — for money
  16. shower — to wash
  17. game — wild animals
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. march — the month
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. wax — to grow
  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