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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: rush · bat · capital · nail · club · wax · bore · deal

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. deal — to handle
  4. capital — a city
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bat — the animal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. club — for dancing
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bore — to drill
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. capital — money
  24. bore — to tire

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