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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.

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: fine · cold · capital · calf · face · bay · wax · ball

  1. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a city
  2. ball — a dance
  3. capital — money
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. face — to point toward
  11. fine — all right
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — part of the head
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. cold — not warm
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fine — high quality

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