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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.

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: foot · staff · land · cold · bank · spell · stick · wax

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. land — to come down
  4. cold — not warm
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bank — for money
  7. wax — to grow
  8. staff — employees
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bank — of a river
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — letters
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. staff — a stick
  18. land — a country
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. spell — magic
  24. land — ground

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