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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 120 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
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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: mine · last · band · rush · bear · bay · kick · wax

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mine — for digging
  5. kick — in football
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. last — to go on
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. last — final
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. band — a ring
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — finally
  19. band — a music group
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. kick — a thrill

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