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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — money
  4. charge — in control
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. can — a tin
  7. wax — to grow
  8. charge — electricity
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. rest — what's left
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. shower — rain
  16. mark — a trace
  17. charge — a price
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. can — a tin
  20. rest — a break
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mark — a grade
  23. rest — what's left
  24. craft — a skill

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