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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · jam · lean · capital · charge · calf · chest · bank

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. charge — a price
  3. bank — for money
  4. chest — of your body
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bank — of a river
  8. charge — in control
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bank — for money
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lean — thin
  13. chest — a box
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. capital — a city
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. capital — money
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. lean — to bend
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lean — to rest against

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