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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
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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: mug · clip · roll · capital · straw · rule · can · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. clip — to cut
  5. capital — a city
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mug — a face
  9. rule — a law
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wax — to grow
  14. can — a tin
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. mug — a cup
  18. clip — a video
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — a list
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. mug — to rob

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