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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. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. present — there
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. present — a gift
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. present — the time now
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. ball — a dance
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. capital — money
  17. wax — to grow
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. lean — thin

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