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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bound — certain
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. capital — a city
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bank — of a river
  11. pass — a permit
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bank — for money
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bank — for money
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. capital — money
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pass — to spend time

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