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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: cap · cabinet · land · pitcher · lash · staff · board · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. board — a committee
  5. land — to come down
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. land — ground
  9. cap — of ice
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. board — to get on
  14. land — a country
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. staff — employees
  17. cap — a hat
  18. staff — a stick
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. staff — employees
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wax — in the ear
  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