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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

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: capital · season · wax · scale · tube · safe · lash · rest

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — a container
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. scale — size or range
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. capital — a city
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. scale — in music
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. capital — money
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. season — in sport
  23. wax — to grow
  24. season — of the year

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