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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: dip · capital · wax · nail · fine · board · straw · mark

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. board — to get on
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. dip — to sink
  11. capital — money
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fine — high quality
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mark — a grade
  22. fine — all right
  23. board — a committee
  24. capital — a city

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