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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: wax · cabinet · capital · vault · file · roll · leaves · content

  1. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a line of people
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wax — to grow
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. file — a tool
  10. capital — a city
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. capital — money
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. roll — a list
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. roll — a cake
  24. leaves — of a tree

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