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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: capital · rule · dip · pitcher · fine · wax · saw · rest

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rest — a break
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. saw — the tool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. capital — a city
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fine — high quality
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fine — all right
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rule — government
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rule — a law
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. capital — money

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