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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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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: fine · mug · bank · date · rock · stock · wax · spell

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rock — music
  4. mug — to rob
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. spell — letters
  7. bank — for money
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. mug — a cup
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. fine — all right
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wax — to grow
  18. stock — goods
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. date — the fruit
  21. stock — shares
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. spell — magic

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