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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: firm · dip · spring · temple · hand · bank · wax · perch

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bank — of a river
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — to grow
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bank — for money
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. firm — decided
  11. firm — steady
  12. hand — in cards
  13. spring — of water
  14. hand — help
  15. dip — to sink
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. firm — a company
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. spring — the season
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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