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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.

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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: cabinet · wax · cue · dip · calf · rush · capital · object

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cue — a hint
  4. object — an aim
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. object — to protest
  10. capital — a city
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. object — a thing
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. capital — money
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cue — for pool
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. dip — to sink

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