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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: capital · sharp · drill · present · wax · firm · lie · rash

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. capital — money
  3. drill — the tool
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. firm — steady
  9. wax — to grow
  10. sharp — clever
  11. present — a gift
  12. firm — a company
  13. present — the time now
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — a practice
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. firm — decided
  21. rash — hasty
  22. present — there
  23. rash — a series
  24. capital — a city

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