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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: present · wave · capital · perch · spring · wax · bear · bank

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bank — for money
  4. present — there
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. capital — a city
  7. bank — for money
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bank — of a river
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. capital — money
  16. present — the time now
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. spring — the season
  19. bear — the animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. present — a gift
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wave — of the sea

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