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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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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. court — of a king
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lean — thin
  9. court — of law
  10. capital — a city
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. hand — in cards
  13. hand — help
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. court — for sport
  16. capital — money
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bear — the animal
  24. lean — to bend

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