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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.

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: rush · row · face · wax · chip · bank · wound · bear

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bank — for money
  5. chip — to eat
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. face — to point toward
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. face — part of the head
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bank — of a river
  21. face — to confront
  22. chip — for betting
  23. wax — in the ear
  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