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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: charge · cue · wax · drill · bear · straw · capital · squash

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. drill — a practice
  3. charge — in control
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. capital — a city
  7. charge — a price
  8. cue — for pool
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. charge — electricity
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wax — to grow
  16. drill — army training
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. squash — to crush
  19. capital — money
  20. bear — the animal
  21. squash — the sport
  22. cue — a signal
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. cue — a hint

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