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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: last · bat · cap · dip · mate · stand · wax · bank

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. last — final
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mate — a partner
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bank — for money
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bat — the animal
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bank — for money
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. last — finally
  24. cap — a hat

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