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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: wax · rush · chip · bank · capital · bowl · firm · spell

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. firm — decided
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wax — to grow
  10. chip — to eat
  11. firm — steady
  12. chip — for betting
  13. capital — a city
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. capital — money
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. spell — letters
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. firm — a company
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. spell — magic

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