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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: capital · wax · pass · calf · saw · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. capital — a city
  10. capital — money
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wind — moving air
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wax — to grow
  18. calf — a young animal

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