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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.

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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 · stick · rest · can · capital · stem · cap · current

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. capital — money
  3. cap — a hat
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. can — to be able to
  6. current — electric
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cap — of ice
  12. can — a tin
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. can — a tin
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. capital — a city
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. current — happening now
  21. rest — what's left
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. current — of water
  24. wax — to grow

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