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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. capital — a city
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. track — a song
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. track — a path
  12. wax — to grow
  13. track — to keep track
  14. spell — magic
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. spell — letters

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