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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: capital · wound · fan · cabinet · kick · drill · bulb · wax

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. drill — a practice
  10. kick — in football
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. capital — a city
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. drill — army training
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bulb — for light
  19. capital — money
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bulb — for light

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