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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bank · pop · wax · spell · nail · row · game · sharp

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pop — music
  4. spell — letters
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. game — a match
  8. pop — to visit
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pop — soda
  11. bank — for money
  12. spell — magic
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wax — to grow
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. game — wild animals
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bank — for money
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. sharp — clever
  24. row — a line

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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