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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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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: kick · bank · arm · band · lie · bore · pop · wax

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pop — soda
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wax — to grow
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. band — a music group
  10. pop — music
  11. bank — of a river
  12. kick — in football
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bank — for money
  16. band — a ring
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bore — to tire
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bank — for money

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