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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: cap · wax · present · mouse · march · mate · rash · bank

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mate — to breed
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. bank — for money
  6. rash — a series
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — a lid
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bank — of a river
  13. march — the month
  14. cap — a hat
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rash — hasty
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. march — the month
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mate — a friend
  22. march — music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. present — the time now

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