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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.

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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: field · board · wax · capital · lie · wave · season · bore

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. bore — to drill
  4. capital — a city
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. board — a committee
  8. field — for sport
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. capital — money
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. season — in sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. season — of the year
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. board — to get on
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. field — a subject
  23. wax — to grow
  24. field — farmland

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