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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.

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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: saw · spring · fine · bank · pop · arm · chair · wax

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. pop — soda
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fine — high quality
  7. spring — the season
  8. pop — to visit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. chair — a leader
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. fine — all right
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. bank — for money
  22. pop — music
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bank — of a river

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