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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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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 · bass · wake · nail · fine · bear · calf · wax

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. bear — the animal
  3. capital — money
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. capital — a city
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fine — high quality
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bass — the fish
  20. fine — all right
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wax — to grow
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bear — the 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