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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: wax · leaves · rock · charge · kick · capital · pitcher · snap

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  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. pitcher — a jug
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. kick — in football
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wax — to grow
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. charge — a price
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. rock — a stone
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. snap — to click
  21. capital — a city
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rock — music
  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