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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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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: snap · bank · cell · fan · present · wax · nail · dip

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cell — a phone
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. dip — to sink
  7. present — the time now
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. present — a gift
  11. bank — for money
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cell — in biology
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. present — there
  23. snap — to click
  24. wax — for sculpting

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