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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: content · bear · chair · bank · wax · squash · rock · date

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. content — happy
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bank — of a river
  6. content — the amount
  7. date — the fruit
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rock — a stone
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bear — the animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. wax — to grow
  15. chair — a leader
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bank — for money
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bank — for money
  23. rock — music
  24. wax — for sculpting

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