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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 · rock · rest · wax · fan · cabinet · craft · plane

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. craft — boats
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rest — what's left
  5. plane — a tool
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rest — what's left
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. craft — a skill
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. rest — a break
  24. capital — a city

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