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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: capital · firm · foot · temple · wax · nail · content · mark

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. firm — steady
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. content — the amount
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. capital — a city
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. capital — money
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. firm — a company
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. content — happy
  17. mark — a trace
  18. firm — decided
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wax — to grow
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. nail — for a hammer

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