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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: wax · stem · row · rush · bear · bank · deal · band

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bear — the animal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. deal — to handle
  6. stem — to come from
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wax — to grow
  10. row — a line
  11. bank — of a river
  12. band — a music group
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bank — for money
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. row — to paddle
  19. bear — the animal
  20. band — a ring
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — a big deal

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