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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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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: toast · wax · capital · hand · bowl · rest · deal · present

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. hand — in cards
  5. present — the time now
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. present — a gift
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. capital — a city
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. capital — money
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wax — to grow
  17. toast — bread
  18. hand — help
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bowl — a football final

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