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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
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: object · capital · tube · bowl · wax · file · can · squash

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. capital — a city
  3. wax — to grow
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. squash — the sport
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. object — to protest
  14. can — to be able to
  15. tube — a container
  16. squash — to crush
  17. object — an aim
  18. file — a line of people
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. file — a document
  21. capital — money
  22. can — a tin
  23. object — a thing
  24. wax — for sculpting

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