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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · spring · bank · board · wax · kid · prune · row

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. row — to paddle
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. spring — a coil
  6. spring — the season
  7. mug — a face
  8. bank — for money
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. kid — child
  14. prune — to trim
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bank — of a river
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — to get on
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bank — for money
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. prune — to trim
  24. spring — of water

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