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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 · cue · mine · file · lean · wake · can · bowl

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. can — a tin
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. lean — thin
  7. file — a document
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. can — a tin
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. capital — a city
  20. wake — a trail
  21. file — a line of people
  22. capital — money
  23. mine — for digging
  24. file — a tool

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