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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 116 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: rest · rock · lie · bulb · last · wax · capital · can

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — music
  4. rest — a break
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. last — to go on
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rest — what's left
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. last — final
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. rest — what's left
  16. capital — a city
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — to grow
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. capital — money
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. rock — a stone

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