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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 116 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: staff · wax · suit · bass · mine · bank · mark · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bank — for money
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mine — for digging
  10. suit — to fit
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bass — low music
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bank — for money
  19. bass — the fish
  20. suit — in cards
  21. staff — employees
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bass — the instrument

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