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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.

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: rock · dip · bass · calf · row · capital · wax · bank

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bass — low music
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. row — to paddle
  10. capital — money
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rock — music
  13. bank — for money
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. capital — a city
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — to grow
  20. row — a line
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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