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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.

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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: plane · wax · lie · cell · cap · capital · perch · rock

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. plane — a tool
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cap — of ice
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. capital — money
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cap — a hat
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. perch — the fish
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rock — a stone
  22. cell — a phone
  23. capital — a city
  24. rock — music

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