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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: capital · bank · wave · chip · bulb · shower · chest · craft

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. craft — a skill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chest — a box
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a city
  15. craft — boats
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. bulb — for light
  19. chest — of your body
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bank — for money

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