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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 · chest · bear · current · deal · squash · wax · roll

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bank — for money
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. chest — of your body
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. deal — to handle
  8. roll — a list
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bank — for money
  14. bear — the animal
  15. current — electric
  16. wax — to grow
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. squash — the sport
  21. bank — of a river
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. bear — the animal

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