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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · vault · wax · capital · bank · patient

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bank — of a river
  4. capital — money
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bank — for money
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bear — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. capital — a city
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bank — for money
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. capital — a big letter

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