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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 120 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: tube · fine · lash · capital · can · mug · wax · spring

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. tube — the underground
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. can — a tin
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. fine — all right
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — a cup
  13. can — to be able to
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. spring — the season
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. capital — a city
  18. spring — of water
  19. tube — a container
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. mug — to rob
  22. can — a tin
  23. wax — to grow
  24. capital — money

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