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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 · rush · lie · patient · bowl · pound · kid · wax

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pound — a weight
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. wax — to grow
  5. capital — a city
  6. capital — money
  7. kid — child
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kid — to tease
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. lie — to recline
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bowl — a dish

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