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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 · capital · mouse · swing · trunk · stand · lie · rash

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. wax — to grow
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. swing — in golf
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. swing — music
  14. capital — a city
  15. rash — a series
  16. capital — money
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — hasty

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