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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 116 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
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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: fan · saw · bore · wax · wind · bark · ground · bank

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bark — to shout
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. ground — a position
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bank — for money
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bore — to tire
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bank — of a river

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