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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. bank — for money
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. capital — a city
  9. club — for dancing
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. prune — to trim
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lean — to bend
  16. club — a group
  17. wax — to grow
  18. club — for golf
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. capital — money
  22. lean — thin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tube — a container

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