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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.

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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: race · pass · chest · bulb · kid · wax · bank · pitcher

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. bank — of a river
  3. chest — a box
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. kid — to tease
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — humankind
  14. bulb — for light
  15. kid — child
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bank — for money
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bank — for money
  24. pitcher — a jug

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