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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. object — a thing
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. object — to protest
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. drill — a practice
  8. capital — a city
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. capital — money
  12. bank — of a river
  13. pit — a hole
  14. land — a country
  15. bank — for money
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. drill — the tool
  22. object — an aim
  23. drill — army training
  24. wax — to grow

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