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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 116 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 beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. spell — letters
  3. capital — a city
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. spell — magic
  9. capital — money
  10. spell — a short time
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. firm — steady
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. face — to confront
  22. firm — a company
  23. bank — for money
  24. firm — decided

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