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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: wax · fan · dip · bat · bank · firm · rest · clip

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. clip — a video
  4. firm — a company
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. bank — of a river
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rest — what's left
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rest — a break
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. firm — steady
  16. rest — what's left
  17. firm — decided
  18. clip — for paper
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bank — for money
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bank — for money
  24. wax — to grow

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