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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: mate · bear · wax · bank · lean · lash · game · tube

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bank — of a river
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bank — for money
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. game — a match
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — the underground
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. tube — a container
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lash — an eyelash

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