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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: swing · date · toast · foot · wax · bank · bark · wave

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. swing — in golf
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. date — the fruit
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. swing — music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. toast — bread
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bank — for money
  24. date — on the calendar

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