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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: fine · ball · bound · bank · rest · cell · kid · wax

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. rest — a break
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. fine — all right
  10. wax — to grow
  11. ball — a great time
  12. kid — child
  13. bound — certain
  14. cell — in biology
  15. kid — to tease
  16. rest — what's left
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bank — for money
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bound — obliged
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bank — for money

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