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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: wax · capital · bank · pass · bulb · present · lean · tube

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. capital — a city
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pass — a permit
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. bank — for money
  11. tube — a container
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. lean — thin
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bulb — for light
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. lean — to bend
  19. present — a gift
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bank — for money
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. capital — money
  24. bank — of a river

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