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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: roll · foot · wax · rule · spring · toast · bank · saw

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. roll — a list
  7. bank — for money
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. foot — a measure
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bank — for money
  12. spring — the season
  13. toast — bread
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wax — to grow
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. rule — a law
  18. roll — a cake
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bank — of a river
  24. saw — the tool

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