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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: bowl · stick · fan · bark · cabinet · bank · wax · tube

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bank — for money
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. bank — for money
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. tube — a container
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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