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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: wax · bear · lash · cabinet · suit · bank · capital · last

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. capital — money
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. last — to go on
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — final
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wax — to grow
  13. capital — a city
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bank — for money
  22. last — finally
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. suit — clothes

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