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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 120 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: bank · hide · wake · foot · rock · pitch · capital · wax

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. capital — a city
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. capital — money
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — music
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bank — for money
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bank — of a river
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. wax — to grow

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