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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 116 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: row · hide · ground · bay · wax · lean · bank · wake

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. ground — crushed
  3. row — to paddle
  4. lean — thin
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. row — a line
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lean — to bend
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ground — a position
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ground — the earth
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bank — for money
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bank — for money
  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