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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rush · capital · pitcher · tear · charge · wax · lash · hide

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. capital — money
  14. charge — electricity
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. charge — in control
  18. charge — a price
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wax — to grow
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. capital — a city
  24. capital — a big letter

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