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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: lean · rash · capital · net · pound · wax · key · mate

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mate — a friend
  3. wax — to grow
  4. capital — a city
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — the most important part
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lean — thin
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. key — in music
  18. net — for catching
  19. mate — to breed
  20. net — in sport
  21. mate — a partner
  22. lean — to bend
  23. capital — money
  24. net — after costs

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