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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: squash · wax · bowl · tear · arm · content · bank · coach

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. content — happy
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. content — the amount
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. squash — the sport
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. wax — to grow

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