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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.

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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: bank · wave · capital · chest · bore · club · fan · mouse

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. wave — of the sea
  2. club — for dancing
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bank — for money
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. chest — of your body
  10. club — a group
  11. bore — to drill
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. capital — money
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bank — of a river
  18. chest — a box
  19. bank — for money
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. capital — a city
  23. club — for golf
  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