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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. capital — money
  8. wax — to grow
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. can — a tin
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. can — a tin
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. face — to confront
  17. can — to be able to
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. face — part of the head
  22. capital — a city
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bank — for money

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