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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: club · staff · bank · spell · rule · wax · date · dip

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rule — government
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wax — to grow
  5. dip — to sink
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. bank — for money
  9. club — a group
  10. spell — magic
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — the fruit
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rule — a law
  21. staff — employees
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. club — for golf

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