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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. can — a tin
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. ground — the earth
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bank — of a river
  7. capital — money
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bank — for money
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bank — for money
  16. can — a tin
  17. snap — to click
  18. capital — a city

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