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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: bank · game · spring · straw · wax · object · ball · mug

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. game — a match
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bank — for money
  5. wax — to grow
  6. object — to protest
  7. ball — a great time
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mug — to rob
  13. object — an aim
  14. game — wild animals
  15. spring — the season
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spring — of water
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mug — a face
  21. object — a thing
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  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