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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 116 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: wax · tube · cap · ruler · lean · perch · capital · kick

  1. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lean — to bend
  7. kick — in football
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. capital — a city
  12. tube — a container
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. capital — money
  19. cap — of ice
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. lean — thin
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cap — a lid

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