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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.

Make a worksheet

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: game · safe · kick · capital · bank · wax · mine · mug

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. capital — a city
  4. bank — for money
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. kick — in football
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bank — for money
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mug — to rob
  13. bank — of a river
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mug — a cup
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wax — to grow
  20. capital — money
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. mug — a face
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. game — a match

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