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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. staff — employees
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. key — in music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bank — of a river
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. capital — a city
  11. bank — for money
  12. key — for a lock
  13. band — a ring
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bank — for money
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. key — the most important part
  20. staff — employees
  21. tear — to rip
  22. band — a music group
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a rubber band

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