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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.

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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: wave · capital · leaves · wax · board · mine · mug · bound

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mug — a face
  8. capital — money
  9. mug — to rob
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. board — to get on
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bound — certain
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wax — to grow
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. board — a committee
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. mug — a cup
  23. capital — a city
  24. bound — tied together

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