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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: bank · present · season · court · bay · wax · cold · dip

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bank — for money
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. bank — of a river
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. season — of the year
  8. cold — an illness
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cold — not warm
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. court — for sport
  17. bank — for money
  18. court — of law
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. court — of a king
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. season — in sport
  24. dip — to sink

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