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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: bear · bank · wax · saw · season · rest · content · chest

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. chest — a box
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. chest — of your body
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bank — for money
  12. season — in sport
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bear — the animal
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bank — of a river
  19. content — happy
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bank — for money
  23. saw — the tool
  24. rest — a break

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