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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. court — of law
  3. capital — a city
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. court — of a king
  6. suit — clothes
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. race — humankind
  9. court — for sport
  10. lean — to bend
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. bank — for money
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. capital — money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. race — a contest
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lean — thin
  24. suit — in cards

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