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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: dip · capital · saw · lie · bark · can · wax · foot

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. can — a tin
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. dip — to sink
  8. capital — a city
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — a measure
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. wax — to grow
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. can — to be able to
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. capital — money

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