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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: field · fine · bay · wound · wax · wake · arm · bank

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. field — farmland
  2. fine — high quality
  3. bank — of a river
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wound — an injury
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wake — a trail
  8. field — for sport
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. fine — all right
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bank — for money
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. field — a subject
  22. bank — for money
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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