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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: sharp · season · wax · capital · ruler · face · bowl · content

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. content — the amount
  4. capital — a city
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. face — to point toward
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. season — of the year
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. capital — money
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wax — to grow
  18. content — happy
  19. face — part of the head
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. face — to confront
  23. season — in sport
  24. wax — in the ear

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