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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. capital — money
  3. cap — of ice
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wax — to grow
  11. track — a song
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bank — for money
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bank — for money
  17. capital — a city
  18. bank — of a river
  19. track — a path
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cap — a lid
  24. scale — in music

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