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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 · hide · capital · rock · nail · band · pound · chair

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rock — a stone
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rock — music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pound — a weight
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. capital — money
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. capital — a city
  15. band — a music group
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. band — a ring
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. chair — to sit on

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