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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.

Make a worksheet

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: leaves · wake · capital · bulb · wax · bowl · game · ruler

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. capital — a city
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. game — wild animals
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. game — a match
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. capital — a big letter

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